


Three's not a crowd

by loisselina (LoisSelina)



Series: Three's not a crowd [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Charming Family Feels, Daddy Charming, David flirts with his wives all the time, Emma has no love interests, Emma's 20, Emma's short, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, His wives gang up against him cause its fun, I will drag everyone into this goddamn ship if I have to, Mama Ruby, Mentions of past abuse, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory family, Protective Parents, Red Charmings, Red Snowing - Freeform, Red Snowing Family, Red Snowing Parents, Red Snowing are amazing parents, Regina's a grandmother figure to Emma, Ruby/ David Nolan, Sick Fic, Snow/ Ruby, Young Emma, at least Emma's on his side, first curse break, i think ive added a million tags, just a happy family, mama Snow, oh well heres some more, red Charming, they get a break for once, well once she stops thinking of him as his cursed self
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-09 05:30:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11662602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoisSelina/pseuds/loisselina
Summary: Red Snowing Fic set after the 1st curse broke, oneshot kinda style story with some linked and some more random chapters. They're learning to be a family and Emma's deals with going from a 20 year old orphan to a 20 year old with three overprotective and very loving parents.





	1. Midnight Walks

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a huge Red Snowing shipper (Ruby x Snow x David), but it's such a rare-pairing (trioing?) that there's barely any fics about them, so I figured I should probably try to rectify that, these are going to be Red Snowing family oneshots, so feel free to request anything!
> 
> I dedicate this to Justanoutlaw, who I dragged into shipping this, and who has just started her own Red Snowing fic called One Day at a Time which is a deaged Emma fic, I suggest you check it out as it's awesome (along with any of her others really)!
> 
> In my universe, Emma is only 20 years old but acts younger mostly due to her childhood. Henry was still adopted but he isn't Emma's son, though he was the one who got her from Boston claiming to have found her family, Emma was living in a crappy apartment when he had found her so took up Mary Margaret's offer of staying with her. Emma isn't working as sheriff or even working as Mary Margaret told her she'd rather have her get her High School diploma than pay rent.
> 
> Let me know what you think through reviews, or message me or tag/tweet me on Tumblr (Loboselinafanfiction) or Twitter loboselinaff
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_After the Evil Queen Regina had been given a second chance instead of being executed by Queen Snow White she had been trying to make amends. Her long-lost sister, the witch Zelena, on the other hand fell even darker – she had been planning on using Regina's position as the queen for her own gain. So, she set about making a curse._

_Regina's step-daughter was Snow White, who had found not one true love but two, it wasn't commonplace in the Enchanted Forest, however it happened enough that only certain royals looked down on her choice to marry Prince Charming and Red, who became Princess Red as soon as the three were married. Soon, Snow White fell pregnant, and the three were overjoyed. The whole kingdom celebrated, and Red and Charming set about making the nursey, under Snow's watchful eye. Red's grandmother, Widow Lucas or Granny as she was known to all, knitted a blanket for her soon to be great-granddaughter. Even Regina gave the unborn baby a gift, a simple teddy bear, but it meant the world to the all, especially Snow who insisted on Regina being a grandmother to the baby._

_But soon tragedy struck. The found out about the curse Zelena was planning on enacting. The terrified trio of parents-to-be sought the advice of the Dark One who warned that they would be separated from their child until the child was twenty years old._

_And so, they were._

* * *

Emma Swan had always wanted to hate David Nolan. Well, maybe not always, she hadn't been his biggest fan when she had had to trudge through the woods at night when he had decided to escape from the hospital during the curse. And she had gotten very close to absolutely hating him when he had been having an affair with Mary Margaret and she still saw him flirting with Ruby whenever he ordered at Granny's, and despite Ruby being Mary Margaret's best friend she always flirted back. But there was always some part of her of her which had liked the man, even if she tried to show that she hated him, he was always kind to her even after he and Mary Margaret broke up, she barely spared a word to him. But then the curse broke and she was given her explanation for why she couldn't quite bring herself to totally hate him, he was here father, and Mary Margaret,  _Snow_  as she now liked to be called, was her mother….

And, apparently, her mother's best friend was also her mother…

She had gone from an orphan to having three parents all in one day.

It was a lot to take in.

Emma had protested when she had been referred to as 'the kid' by Ruby, as they had bid farewells to Granny that night at the diner where everyone had been celebrating, but had been dragged home along with David and Ruby by Snow. David had barely spoke to her, but she saw him watching her through the night as she learnt about who everyone in the town really was, she had simply stuck to Snow's side, Snow may have changed from being Mary Margaret the least of all being the name, but she was who Emma felt safest around.

* * *

"Why do I have to do this?" Emma grumbled, Snow was in the closet pulling out blankets and throws and piling them into Emma's waiting arms.

"Because your parents are building a nest in the living room, that way we can all stay together tonight, you included. We need blankets and cushions and pillow to make it"

"We're not birds we don't need a nest." She leant against the doorway of the closet and glanced through the bedroom curtains to the living room. Ruby and David had pushed the couch and chairs back to the edges of the room, on the floor led Snow's mattress along with Emma's and the spare bed's mattress. They were placing all of the couch and arm chair cushions around the edges of the mattresses to make a nest like shape.

Snow rolled her eyes and sighed. She knew this was going to be hard, Emma having to get used to having other people there, let alone the fact she now had parents, even if Mary Margaret mothered her already, Snow would only increase that. "Because, we've been apart for twenty years, and you've gotten yourself into danger already today, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"You were the one lying in the hospital in a coma." She was unable to hide the hurt and fear in her voice.

Snow stood up out of the closet for a moment, she placed the pile Emma was holding onto the bedside table and hugged her tight. "I'm not leaving you again Emma, Regina has Zelena in one of the cells under the hospital, she's not getting out. She can't hurt me and I'm never leaving you ever again… But, I could have lost you when you decided to fight that dragon." She told her. She hadn't told David or Ruby about it yet, she thought it'd be best coming from Emma, when Emma was comfortable enough to see her mother and father go into full protective mode over her. "You're never doing that again."

Emma shrugged her shoulders, Gold had tricked her into getting the magic egg and had then left her stranded to get out on her own, it was crazy and terrifying and she hadn't gotten her head around it yet. "I needed to save you." She mumbled.

Snow placed her hand on Emma's cheek and smiled gently at her. "And you did. You saved me, your mother and father, and the entire town. That's all we needed you to do, you've done your job as the saviour so now I get to wrap you in bubble wrap, no more dragons."

Emma rolled her eyes but saw Snow was deadly serious so she nodded. The town had already changed a little with the magic now there, she didn't want to find out if there was some tower Snow would lock her in, to keep her safe.

Snow went back to collecting the blankets and Emma picked the pile back up.

"So, Prince Charming's a man whore, Walt Disney never saw that coming."

"Emma." Snow warned.

"What! He is! He's a bigamist!" Emma defended herself. She didn't think she was being that loud but Ruby looked over at her not looking happy.

Snow stood up out of the closet again, though this time she had a stern look on her face, one which made Emma suddenly look down. It was a look Mary Margaret never had. " _He is not._ " The sternness of her words made Emma look up, she looked like a kicked puppy, but Snow continued – she couldn't let Emma think terrible things about David, not if she wanted the two to ever have a relationship. "He is married to myself and your mama, Ruby. Ruby is married to him and me. And I am married to both your mama and your daddy. We all love each other equally, and we all love you, but you need to treat us all with respect even if you're not ready to call us by our proper titles yet – not because we're your parents, because I know that you need time to get used to that, but because we're people, so you need to treat us all with respect regardless."

Emma slouched like a chastised child.

"Do you understand?" Snow asked gently, she knew it was all a lot for her to take in and she wasn't sure how to deal with it all, and she'd feel embarrassed and guilty about ever thinking those things as soon as she got to know David and Ruby for who they truly were.

Emma bit her lip not looking up at Snow's eyes. "Yeah."

"Good girl." Snow gave her a soft smile to show there was no bad blood. "Why don't you go take those through and help them set them up, I'll grab the others, then I'll come join you.

* * *

Emma had been withdrawn from the all during the evening, it was late enough that she could claim that she was tired and wanted to sleep, her parents agreed, though suspicious, and they all settled down.

As soon as Emma believed that they were asleep she left the loft, taking only her jacket and slippers with her, intent on leaving the town. This was all too much for her.

But Snow, David, and Ruby were not as asleep as Emma had thought. They all sat up immediately, panic and fear at their missing child hung thick in the air. They all wanted to go and search for Emma, to prove to her that they loved her and that they cared. But Snow and Ruby insisted that David went alone. The two mothers already had a relationship with her, and would be able to track Emma down and help if David needed it, but he also needed to prove to his daughter that he loved her, that he cared, and that he wasn't like the cursed version of himself.

So, David left the loft, spotting Emma's abandoned baby blanket on the mattress where she had slept. He was touched that she still slept with it, and he realised that she wasn't really going to leave, though he wasn't sure that Emma had realised that yet.

* * *

David quickly caught up with Emma. But instead of talking to her, or stopping her, or even throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her back home, he just walked alongside her, in silence waiting for her to speak first. They were at the edge of town, near the woods and the town line, by the time Emma broke.

Anger had built up in Emma, first from David being at her side, but as time went on it had changed to anger at him not trying to stop her. And hurt… he clearly didn't care about her enough to stop her, he was just escorting her out of the town…

"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" She shouted. "Go have some weird charming- Disney- wolf hybrid babies and leave me alone!"

David's hands went to his hips. "Why would I go do that, when my only 'charming- Disney- wolf hybrid' baby is out here, all alone?"

"I broke your stupid curse! Now I'm out of here, you don't need me anymore, I'm not sticking around somewhere I'm not wanted."

Emma said the words with heat but David's heart broke as he heard the pain and fear behind them. He couldn't take it anymore, he pulled Emma into his arms and held onto her tight, even as she yelled and tried to hit him and eventually broke down into tears. He rocked her as she cried, slumped against him, it was an automatic reaction to rock her but it seemed to work. When she stopped crying he pulled her back, his hands firmly on her arms, so she could look him in the eyes and know he wasn't lying. "The only reason we care about the curse being broken is so that we can be with each other and you again. Yes, we're happy for other in the town too, but our family is our main concern. We need you because we love you, you're our child, we don't just want you here, we need you – not because you're some saviour or whatever, but because you're Emma, you're our daughter who we wanted before we knew of the curse, and who we watched grow in your mommy's stomach. We couldn't wait to meet you, the few minutes we had you for we were the happiest we've ever been, we've been feeling the same since you broke the curse, because we have you again. We love you."

Emma could see he wasn't lying, not at all, she could also see the love he had for her on his face, and she'd be lying if she claimed that didn't scare her just a little. "You signed up for a baby, I'm an adult," she watched doubt flicker across his face and she mistook his doubt that she was an adult (it felt like only yesterday he had her in his arms after all) for doubt that he could parent her, "I understand." She finished quietly.

"You're  _our_  baby, no matter how big you are, we signed up for you and  _we want you_." David sighed and pulled her back into a hug, he knew this would be hard for Emma, it was even harder for her with her harsh past, he didn't know the details but he knew it was the reason she tried to push everyone away, and he figured there was a reason she didn't talk about it.  
"You have me, and mommy, and mama, and we all love you more than you'll ever know." He told her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "We're not going anywhere. You can shout, scream, cry, tell us you hate us, try to push us away, try to build your walls higher, stick to us like glue, never let us leave your sight- but that's not going to change a thing, we're your parents, we love you, and we're going to look after you not matter your age." He was rocking her again, just enough to soothe her, it worked, she practically melted against him.  
He knew how guarded she acted around everyone in the town during the curse but Mary Margaret had told him she was the opposite around her, as soon as the walls had come down, she was much more trusting, almost childlike but she seemed to be more comfortable than she ever was around other people, he could only hope that she'd be comfortable enough to act like herself around him and Ruby too, one day.  
"Now, how about we walk back home?"

"Urgh." Emma made the noise of complaint against his chest and she heard and felt him laugh, the vibrations going through his chest to her face. "Too far. We stay here." She mumbled already starting to fall asleep against him.

David laughed again and shook his head. He rubbed her back and ran his fingers through her curly hair. "So, you can't walk home, but you were going to walk all the way out of town and to some new place in just your pyjamas and slippers, without even taking your blankie?"

Emma frowned against him, okay maybe she hadn't  _really_  been going out of town when he put it like that, it didn't mean he had to call her out about it. Her heart quickened when she remembered she had left her baby blanket behind, she was glad he had stopped her before she had left, she was only now realising that she didn't have a plan or take her car or clothes or anything.

He scooped her up into his arms and saw her look confused, but she didn't try to pull away, so he supposed that was something. "You're obviously way too tired to walk home, and I'm way too handsome to be killed, which I will be if I don't get you back to your mothers soon." He began to walk.

"Scaredy cat" Emma mumbled in good humour, but she led her head against his chest, he smelt like a forest mixed with his aftershave, it was a good and comforting mix, and the forest part reminded her of her blanket.

"Well, your mama's kind of like a big dog," he smirked knowing that if Ruby was there she would have smacked him upside the head, "I'm kinda right to be a scaredy cat."

"I'll tell her you said that." She closed her eyes.

"Nuh uh," David shook his head as he smiled down as his daughter who didn't open her eyes, "you're meant to be on my side, your mommy and mama always gang up on me." He realised only after he had said it that he had been referring to Snow as Emma's mommy, which she was of course, but he was a little surprised she didn't object to the wording. "We made a deal when you were in Snow's tummy, I plied her with all the hot chocolate you wanted, and in return you stopped kicking her every time me or Ruby stopped talking to you, and you joined my team."

Emma was too tired to drag her eyes open, and too tired to stop the smile spreading over her face at the story, she snuggled closer but would stick firm to the claim that it was because she was cold not because she quite liked being close to David, her dad. "Do I still get the hot chocolate?" she bartered.

"Hmm…" David pretended to think. "I suppose that would be a good deal… and before you tell me, I know it's with cinnamon, that's your mom's fault she got us  _all_ hooked."

"Doesn't mean I like it." She argued for the sake of arguing, her voice was slurred with sleep as she fought to stay awake.

"You do." He smiled down at her, knowing she'd be asleep by the time they got home, despite her stubbornness, she had inherited that trait from all three of her parents. "Your mommy told me during the curse… she was always telling me stories about what you were up to and how you were." Even curse he and Ruby had always asked after Emma as soon as they saw their wife, though neither understood why, they just knew she was important to them.

Emma was now almost asleep which gave her the bravery she needed to ask the next question. "Did mommy tell mama too?" She copied her parents' terminology for each other naturally, not really think about how immature it might sound, she didn't care at the moment either.

David beamed as he heard her refer to Ruby as her title, he wished Ruby was there to hear it, but he knew that if she had been Emma would have been snatched straight out of his arms and into her so he couldn't help but be a little selfish and grateful that she wasn't. Snow's title also made him smile but he knew that that was a slightly easier change for Emma to make. "Yeah, your mama's always been making sure you're okay, when she didn't see Snow she'd ask me if I knew."  
They were close to the town again now.  
"When you were born, your mama was rushing to try and get to you, she wanted to hold her baby, but the witch had her forces in the way and they knew that she'd be hard to take down. Your mama fought so hard to try and be there. She didn't get to see you, the curse came too quick, but because she was so good at fighting to protect you it meant I was able to get you to the wardrobe easier so the witch didn't kill you."

Emma hummed a noise in reply but she was now asleep.

* * *

When David got back to the loft both Snow and Ruby were worried beyond belief, but when they saw Emma asleep in David's arms they calmed a little, and didn't bombard him with questions so that Emma wouldn't wake up. He carried her over to the nest in the living room and placed her down in the middle of the mattresses. Snow immediately led down and cuddled her baby against her. She grabbed Emma's baby blanket, and wrapped it around her, before covering her with other blankets.

"Is she okay?" Ruby asked with worry and insistence, her eyes scanned Emma as she stood beside David, looking down at her and Snow. Emma moved in her sleep to curl up closer to Snow which was a promising sign.

David wrapped his arms around Ruby, he kissed her temple as her head was turned onto their daughter, she may have insisted that he needed to hand bringing Emma back on his own that time, but she wouldn't be letting her out of her sight again, not for a very long time. "She'll be okay, she just needs some reassurance from us all…" He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. "She fell asleep as I was telling her the story of how her mama valiantly fought the dark knights to try and be at her birth, and because she fought so many of them it meant I could get her to the wardrobe so she wouldn't be killed by the evil witch, her mama helped save her."

He could tell Ruby was worried that Emma wouldn't accept her as she wasn't related to her by blood, she always had been a little worried, that had only increased when they realised they wouldn't get to raise her- but Emma was just as much like Ruby as she was David and Snow.

He watched her lay down on the mattresses on Emma's other side. He led beside her with his arm draped across all three of his girls. He pressed a kiss to her neck, a sensitive spot below her ear, his lips tickled her skin as they barely touched it. "She referred to you as her mama." He could just about see Snow smiling over at what she had heard him say and he knew that Ruby was beaming. "And Snow as mommy," he continued, "she hasn't called me daddy yet, but it's okay she's still on my team."

His wives let out a quiet breath of laughter each, they knew Emma would have to have time to get used to this new family dynamic, but they would support her through it no matter what. It was all going to be okay.


	2. Her Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the night before, set immediately after Chapter 1 Midnight Walks, some mama Ruby bonding.
> 
> Let me know what you think and any prompts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the night before, set immediately after Chapter 1 Midnight Walks, some mama Ruby bonding.
> 
> Let me know what you think and any prompts!

Ruby was the first one awake in the loft. For a second she was caught between her two minds, unable to figure out if she was Red, a princess and knight in the Enchanted Forest, married to Queen Snow and Prince Charming, or if she was Ruby, a waitress working in her Granny's diner, plagued by hangovers and a series of hook-ups. She heard the sound of two heartbeats she knew even better than her own, she was starting to think she was back in their castle, then she heard the third heartbeat, she once knew it better than even the ones of her spouses, but it had changed and developed without any of them there. She realised she was both. Ruby, the waitress, werewolf, wife, and mama.

Now that magic was back in the town she had regained her werewolf senses which the world without magic had been suppressing. She felt David's arm draped around her waist, spooning her from behind, she turned her head just a little so she could gently peck his lips. He responded but didn't wake, and she was glad of that when she was met with the memory of finally getting to the nursery seconds before the curse broke and seeing her wife cradling their husband's lifeless body in her arms, one of the few good things about the curse happening at that moment was that it saved David's life, nevertheless still he needed the rest.

She turned her head back to where it had been when she had been sleep and looked at Snow above Emma's head, her wife was fast asleep with their daughter cuddled as close as possible. She could see a small smile on Snow's face as she slept.  
Ruby had seen her when she was in the coma, when Emma had run off to go do something with Gold (though Ruby had no idea what….), she looked almost dead Ruby hadn't even cared about Emma disappearing – although she didn't know it, one of her true loves was dying, and the other was headed towards the town line and danger.  
It was much better to see her peacefully asleep with her baby in her arms, safe and happy, nevertheless she stroked her fingers gently across her cheek, a small smile appeared on Ruby's face as the one on Snow's face widened in her sleep, knowing Ruby's fingers only too well.

Ruby gently shrugged David's arm from her so she could sit up, he made a grumpy noise in his sleep, which she would have to remember to tease him about later. At that moment, she instead was busy looking at Emma. She was only just an adult, Ruby knew from her cursed self's memories that she didn't act like one, and she certainly didn't act look like one.

Ruby remembered the fear she had felt when knew had reached her that Snow had gone into labour, Ruby had been busy fighting off as many of Zelena's forces as tried her hardest to get back to her family, but she had only got there a few seconds before the curse fell, her wife was cradling their husband's lifeless body and their baby daughter was nowhere to be seen – she could only hope that Emma got into the wardrobe in time, but even then she was terrified about where Emma would be sent and how long a premature baby could survive on her own. And she had somehow, though she had no idea how, she wasn't sure how any of them would have coped if she hadn't, and she was sure they would have known that their baby was dead, curse be damned.

Ruby carefully brushed one of Emma's golden curls out of her face, a mixture of Snow and David's hair, she froze as Emma rolled over but relaxed again when she stayed firmly asleep now led on her back, out of Snow's arms. Ruby carefully placed a kiss onto Emma's forehead, gently enough that it barely counted, she may know Emma better than David (and had the advantage of Emma not hating her) but she knew that they weren't on the same level as Emma and Snow were. Ruby gently tucked Emma's blanket around the blonde, Emma clearly knew it even in her sleep, as she pulled it closer to her, nuzzling it in her sleep. She stretched in her place on the mattress nest before climbing off it.

She headed first to the kitchen, she opened the fridge to see what Snow had in there for them to eat, she rolled her eyes when she realised that Mary Margaret had been just as into healthy eating as Snow was, and she clearly hadn't gone to the store that week as there was nothing in there to make anything. She quickly checked the cupboards, she smirked when she saw that there was a box of Lucky Charms which were no doubt Emma's – but she didn't think that cereal, no matter how colourful, was a fitting first breakfast for her family.

She headed into the bathroom to quickly wash, she had stolen some of Mary Margaret's pyjamas the night before as both she and David had forgot to head back to their places and grab clothes, Mary Margret's style wasn't hers any more than it was Snow's, but at least it properly fit Snow, Ruby was a couple of inches taller so everything was just a little too short. She'd just have to borrow some of Snow's clothes to go to Granny's in, she'd be fine with looking a little flowery in order to grab everyone breakfast, there was no doubt in her mind that they would all be going on a shopping trip later on, Emma would be spoilt with clothes too, she already knew from Mary Margaret's insinuations, and from her own observations, that Emma had about three outfits.

* * *

When she exited the bathroom, she was met with the sight of Emma sat up between the two sleeping figures of David and Snow, David had moved closer to Emma once Ruby had moved, in her hands was her blanket her hand was tracing her name. Ruby smiled, she saw the bags under Emma eyes, she really could do with getting some more sleep. "Hey Em." She said gently but Emma still jumped. "Sorry, pup, I didn't mean to scare you."

Emma bit her lip and shrugged awkwardly. "S'okay." She mumbled and tried to pretend that she hadn't been looking at the blanket quite so intently. She realised that she had called her some form of a nickname, well two, but 'pup' was one she had never heard before, and was surprised that she didn't actually hate it. She looked over at Ruby and tried not to laugh at the sight of Mary Margaret's pyjamas on her, she realised that Ruby's eyes were on her blanket. Emma fidgeted a little nervously.

Ruby realised she was staring, and that Emma was biting her lip and looking nervous, she sighed internally that her daughter had ever had to feel self-conscious about having her baby blanket with her and it being important. She gave Emma a gentle smile. "I'm glad you still have that." She watched as Emma's eyes met hers, they were green exactly like hers and Snow's, she had a baby face and her eyes looked adorably big on it. "It looks like it's holding up well, even after twenty years."

Emma moved out her place between two of her parents, with her blanket still in held in her hands, she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down watching Ruby grab one of Snow's notebooks and pens before pouring two glasses of juice out, Emma watched Ruby place one of the juices in front of her before she spoke. "I had to, it's the only thing I have from my parents… erm…  _had_ from you I guess…" She trailed off when she remembered that she was talking to one of the people who gave it to her.

Ruby smiled lovingly, she dropped into the place next to Emma at the table, and watched the blonde sip the juice. "Granny will be happy about that." She saw Emma's confused look and explained. "She was the who one knitted it. I think she started about eight different ones." She chuckled at her grandmother's knitting mania.

"Did she used to knit everyone things?" Emma asked trying to figure out why there were eight.

Ruby tilted her head a little to the side in confusion, an action which David teased her about being dog like, even though both of her spouses did the same thing. "No, she just wanted it to be perfect, you're her only great-grandchild."

It took a minute for that to sink in. She always knew that it wasn't just one from a store, it had her name on it after all, but she had figured they had paid some random person to do it, when she was a teenager she thought that it was her biological mother's old baby blanket, or someone she knew. "Oh… I… I'm glad she did." She admitted stroking the ribbon between her finger and thumb as she was used to doing.

"Me too." Ruby smiled and started to write down things she knew David and Snow would like to eat for breakfast, she also knew what Emma would eat but she didn't want to just assume or make her think that she was trying to control her, she wanted her to like her.  
"You know before you were born, me and your daddy thought that your mommy would be going through with you, so we kissed the blanket because we were told that by giving it true loves kiss it would help protect you a little." The three of them had had a conversation with each other about continuing to refer to each other by those names as they had to her when Emma was in Snow's stomach, which Emma had used the day before, unless she asked they didn't. "I think you mommy kissed it before your daddy took you."

Emma swallowed deeply, she was beginning to hate that wardrobe, and judging from the fact that Ruby trailed off she did too. She decided to play it safe and change the conversation. "Whatcha doing?" She pointed at the list Ruby had almost completed.

"I checked the kitchen and could only find some kale and some cereal which has so many colourings in it's practically luminescent." She watched Emma look proud at that, she figured it probably took a lot of work for Emma to convince Mary Margaret to get it, she couldn't help but smile at her daughter's grin. "So, I decided to go on a Granny's run I was just writing down what to grab everyone, I was thinking double chocolate waffles for you?"

"Mm, yes!" Emma hummed her approval. "They're the best."

Ruby grinned as though she had just passed a little test. She noticed Emma staring at her blanket, something was on her mind and was probably whatever had her up so early, it didn't surprise her considering the day she had had with watching Snow almost die the day before. "You wanna come with me?" She offered.

Emma looked up at Ruby, she bit her lip, then glanced over at Snow who was now asleep in David's arms.

"We can leave them a note so they know where we've gone, it's still early, they'll most likely still be asleep by the time we get home."

Emma looked back at Ruby. She had spent time with Ruby before the curse had broken, they had gotten along well, Ruby had clearly changed a lot in the short amount of time but she still seemed like a nice person. She felt as though she was agreeing to something bigger than just going to the diner and grabbing food. But she nodded. "Okay, sure, why not."

"Cool." She breathed out. "Go get changed then we'll go." She quickly wrote down Emma's order before she headed into the downstairs bedroom to get dressed herself.

* * *

As soon as Emma was dressed the Ruby left the note telling David and Snow where they had gone, then lead her daughter out of the loft. The two were quite the sight, Ruby had taken out her bright red clip in highlights and had borrowed more of Snow's cursed clothes, Emma was a whole lot shorter than Ruby and was in the clothes she had owned for about five years they were worn thin and she only had a few outfit choices as the amount didn't even fill a suitcase.

Emma started to head over to Mary Margaret's, or Snow's as she had to keep reminding herself, car. She felt Ruby's hand suddenly on her back, steering her away from Snow's station wagon and towards a bright red Camaro.

"We're going in my car, Em." She told her kindly, she was relieved that Emma didn't head towards the yellow bug, she had seen her drive the stolen car, and was fairly certain that she had never passed a test. Emma was fairly quiet, Ruby realised, but she wasn't sure if it was because she wasn't a morning person or because she had Ruby's company, possibly both.

* * *

Ruby unlocked the front door of the diner, it was early enough that neither Granny nor the cook, Tony, was there. She could tell that Emma felt a little out place as they walked into the empty diner, the only noise was the buzz of the lights and heating system as they walked in and Ruby flicked them on.

"Hey, why don't you stay here," she pointed over at the booth beside the kitchen door, there were some pots of crayons and colouring pages upon it, waiting to be set up in their usual places, "I'll only be a few minutes putting them on, then we can get the drink sorted.

Emma moved to the seat at the booth, the seat closest to the kitchen door, she felt completely out of her depth, out in the early morning before anyone was awake and before the diner was open. "Okay." She said quietly, she was fidgeting restlessly as she normally did, it was worse when she was anxious.

"I'll be back in a sec." Ruby promised, she felt Emma's nerves coming off her in waves, even if they weren't she would have seen Emma's dancing hands. She watched as they picked up one of the crayons from the pot and she started turning it over in her hands. "You can colour if you like." She suggested, she would have let Emma into the kitchen with her, but she felt protective of her pup, she didn't want her to get burnt, she had already heard about Emma's attempts to cook which had ended up with a visit from the fire service.

Emma tried to protest that she wasn't a kid and didn't want to colour, but the words only came into her mind as the kitchen door closed behind Ruby, she started to colour in the picture of the dinosaur on the paper absentmindedly.

She was lost in her mind thinking about everything that had happened. She thought about how David had talked to her the night before and had carried her home, he was so different from the David Nolan she had known who had been weak and had upset Mary Margaret. She thought about how Mary Margaret had changed, she was no longer weak willed there was a quiet ferocity there, and she was somehow even more maternal than before which was impressive. Then there was Ruby, she had been slightly immature before and had a pretty bad reputation for flirting with a whole load of people (which wasn't something Emma really wanted to think about, but now she seemed to stand taller, there was fire behind her eyes and seemed to be protective over Emma, though Emma didn't totally understand having people care about her so that would take some getting used to. She was so busy thinking about everything that she didn't hear the bell over the door ring to signify someone coming in.

"We're not open just yet." The cook told Emma, making her jump as she didn't realise that anyone else was there, he was clearly oblivious to who she was and why she was there.

"Oh I'm just…" She dropped the crayon she had been colouring with down onto the table. "I just waiting… I'm erm with…" She wasn't sure whether she should call Ruby 'mama' yet or not, she wasn't sure if she was ready for the commitment to having a family yet or not, and more importantly she wasn't sure if Ruby wanted her to call her that. She knew that Ruby shared true love with David and Snow, but she didn't want to assume anything, she barely even wanted to admit to herself that she hoped that they did all love her – even after saving Snow with true love's kiss.

"Are you looking for your parents?" He noticed her slightly scruffy and worn clothes, she clearly wasn't dirty or unclean just a little bedraggled, he figured she might not have somewhere to stay, she might have been an orphan before or during the curse. "If you're looking for someone, or somewhere to stay, I can help you I just need to talk to someone… You look like you could do with a meal in you."

Ruby heard the voices from the kitchen where she was grabbing all of the ingredients for the different breakfasts, she was a pretty good cook, Snow was better of course, and David had perfected breakfast ad grilled cheeses. She was going to let Emma talk to Tony alone, he was a nice man during the curse, and she wasn't worried about him suddenly turning horrible after regaining his memories – he had been one of the cooks at the castle, he had always made sure to sneak David and Ruby slightly more unhealthy food when Snow was on a health kick (her spouses being forced to join with her), and he always created recipes following Snow's cravings when she was pregnant with Emma. But then Ruby heard Emma's heart practically beating out of her chest, and her spluttering as she tried to answer but failed. She left the ingredients and appeared out of the kitchen door and materialised next to Emma.

"Don't worry Tony, that's my kid." Ruby placed her hand onto Emma's back rubbing circles onto it as she saved Emma from trying to explain anything.  
She could hear Emma's heart starting to beat faster, while she was in the kitchen and Emma was on her own, she was clearly worried about being interrogated by Granny's cook. She knew that Emma didn't actually have anything to worry about, Tony was really nice and would probably have just tried to help her had she been some random kid searching for her parents, but Emma's panic needed to be soothed.  
"I'm about to get a meal in her now." She felt Emma leaning against her and she could hear her heart beating starting to calm, she felt pride at that and continued to rub her back.  
She felt a little shred of hope that she was starting to learn how to calm Emma, David had remonstrated that he could calm her the night before, and Snow was closer to her than any of them.

Emma was mulling over Ruby's words, she claimed her so easily, there was no doubt in Ruby's mind that she was hers. It was so certain in Ruby's mind, and her words, that Emma couldn't help but be convinced. It was the same way that Snow had claimed her, and David had reiterated, they had both made sure she knew that Ruby was hers too. Growing up she had hoped to have a mommy and daddy who didn't shout or hurt her, as she got older she figured it was probably more likely that she'd have a mom who was a bit of a deadbeat considering she left her on the side of the road, now she had gone from being an orphan to having three parents. It was weird, but she saw the love the clearly all had for each other, and even she could see the love they had for her. Three parents defiantly beat having no parents, she wasn't sure what having two parents was like, but she was starting to think that having three was pretty good… possibly even better than having only two, though only time would tell.

Tony smiled when he saw Ruby and realised who the girl was. He threw his arm out to give Ruby a brief hug. He smiled down at Emma as though he knew her. "You must be Emma." He grinned when she nodded her head but didn't speak, he figured she was probably shy so he looked again at Ruby. "Little tiny thing, ain't she?"

Ruby grinned back but was surprised when Emma didn't protest his words. "Yeah, she is, that's why we're here – my wife has nothing in for breakfast, and we're all back together, we deserve something special."

"I figured I wouldn't see you today, Granny said you wouldn't be in today, not when you found your spouses and baby."

Emma made a grumbling noise at that, but only a small one, not out of disagreement but she did have reputation to keep. She was ignored.

"I must admit, it is ever so nice to have the real you back, your highness." He bowed his head respectfully.

Ruby rolled her eyes with a kind smile on her face. They had had this conversation many a time, Tony stood waiting for her to say her lines, as though they were in a play. "I told you, Tony, it's just Ruby. But it's good to see you too."

"Make me a coffee and I'll get all your food done." Tony offered her looking over at Emma too, who seemed to be much more relaxed with Ruby's hand rubbing circled on her back, he couldn't help but smile at that. "Your mom might be a good cook but I'm much better."

"She's not my mom." Emma said automatically, she didn't even think about what she was saying, her words came out of her mouth without her mind catching up she was taking after her parents and letting her feelings lead.

In the half second of silence Ruby felt as though she was experiencing all of her worst nightmares. She had been assured by Snow and David that she would be the baby's parent just as much as they were, biology didn't matter in families, even when they found out that she and David wouldn't be able to raise her they knew that Emma would be raised knowing she had three parents it wouldn't be idea but they could make it work. But then Emma went through without any of them. Ruby understood, she would never blame Emma for not accepting them fully as her parents straight away even if she had the night before in her sleepy state, it was something Emma had to get used to slowly… But Ruby wasn't her biological mother, and here was Emma pointing that out to someone outside of their family, it made it official and damning. Her heart broke.

"She's my mama." Emma continued after the half second it took for her to take a breath. It took her a second to realise what she had said, it had been an automatic response, it was what she had been told and was changing her name to in her head, along with David and Snow's names- though calling them 'mommy and daddy' seemed even younger so she was a little more hesitant to say it out loud in the light of day. She bit her lip and looked up hesitantly at Ruby, who had tears in her eyes, she bit her lip a little harder as she worried about Ruby's reaction.

Ruby's face broke into a massive smile, so wide it almost hurt, she blinked back the happy tears from her eyes and squeezed Emma tight to her side. "Yup." She agreed with pride, she saw Tony smile at them both, he and Ruby were close from their cursed years and knew each other before that. "I'm her mama." She dropped a kiss to the top of her head, she felt her lean into the touch, she knew it was involuntary but she was glad nonetheless.

"Of course." He nodded his head with a smile. "Do you know what you'll be having?"

"I wrote a list, it's still in the kitchen, y'know the place where Granny hates me to put them?" She said with a wicked smile.

Tony chuckled a little. "Of course where else." He grinned. "I'm guessing you're taking it to go?"

"Yup," Ruby nodded at Tony, "I think we should probably feed the two idiots too. Plus from what I've seen my wife's been trying to force my kid to eat healthily." She made her voice sound as though Snow had been torturing Emma and she was rewarded with a small laugh from her daughter, she realised she was going to be almost as much of a soft touch as David was clearly going to be, but it was worth it.

"I'll leave you to ruin that healthy eating then." Tony laughed and he headed into the kitchen leaving the girls alone as he cooked.

Ruby brushed some of Emma's wild hair away from her face so she could see her better. "What d'ya think, pup, time to ruin your mommy's healthy eating with an awesome chocolate milkshake?"

Emma grinned up at her. She noted that Ruby was using the same terms for Snow as David had the night before, along with that nickname again, apparently they came as naturally to Ruby as they had to Emma, but Ruby wasn't unsure in the slightest as to her role in the family, whereas Emma was. But she nodded her head and stood up when Ruby gave her the room to do so. "I'd never turn down a chocolate milkshake." She shrugged playing it cool.

Ruby threw her arm around her and led her over to the counter where they made the milkshakes. She grabbed the ice cream from the freezer as Emma stood watching her by the blender, she then grabbed a couple of chocolate bars, some chocolate milk, and a packet of tiny fudge cubes.  
"Okay, you add a cup of fudge cubes in there, and then break up all that chocolate and put it in." Ruby instructed.

"Mommy would never let me have all this." Emma muttered gleefully, it was meant to be to herself but when she glanced at Ruby she was grinning her wolfish grin, Emma was surprised to find that she was happy to have made Ruby smile. She was getting used to thinking of Snow as a mom, it was fairly easy to do so, but with Ruby it was like she was a completely different person… She knew she'd have to get used to her, but she found herself drawn to her, she felt safe with her – and Emma didn't feel safe with many people... She felt how she did with Snow, and how she had felt with David the night before, it was a feeling Emma was so unfamiliar with it was hard to name but she thought it might be 'home'.

Ruby's grin was wolfish as she looked down at Emma. "Yeah, don't tell her about it, or she'll kill me" She saw Emma look worried about Ruby possibly being in trouble. "She won't mind too much, pup, she was always having to eat chocolate when you were in her tummy- pretty much everything would be covered in chocolate or with chocolate or you'd kick up a fuss." She watched Emma breaking up the chocolate while looking interested in Ruby's words. "You used to kick Snow all the time unless you could hear one of our voices, pup, your daddy had to sing to you every night or you'd try to keep your mommy up all night."

"Why'd you… Why'd you call me that?" Emma asked tilting her head to the side.

Ruby added scoops of triple chocolate ice cream into the blender. She frowned as she tried to figure out what Emma meant. "Oh, pup?" She watched her daughter nod. She shrugged. "I don't know, I've called it you since we found out Snow was pregnant, it just felt right… I guess maybe it's a wolf thing."

"Wolf? Wait… Henry's book was right, you're a – a…?" She trailed off, she didn't want to call her a something which was prejudiced or something, by accident.

"Werewolf?" Ruby suggested gently. "Yeah, I am… is… is that okay?"

Emma nodded her head straight away, desperate to show her that she hadn't meant to make her doubt that she was okay with it. "It's cool." She said not bothering to dampen her enthusiasm. "Can you turn into a wolf whenever you want or just on the full moon? Can you control yourself as a wolf and remember it, or is it like when you get blackout drunk and wake up barely able to remember anything and have a hangover?"

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at Emma's rambling questions. "You're way too young to know about blackout drinking, pup." She watched Emma shrug, as she quickly blasted the blender to make Emma's milkshake, she was trying to think of the how to answer Emma's questions. She still remembered killing her boyfriend before she had learnt how to control her wolf side. "I can turn into a wolf whenever I want, but it's more like I have to when there's a full moon. I'm completely in control, but I wasn't always, before I knew that I was a werewolf I hurt a lot of people… it took me a long time to come to turns with it… there was a time that I almost stayed as a wolf most of the time." She poured the milkshake into a takeaway cup, stuck in a silly straw in it, then passed it to her.

"Why didn't you?" Emma asked, she took a sip of her milkshake and hummed her approval and love of it she started to drink it down quickly.

"Your mommy." Ruby said with a gentle smile. She quickly turned the coffee on to make some for Tony, herself, and her spouses. And the hot milk to make Emma a hot chocolate and cinnamon.

"Before Regina turned good she was hunting your mommy down, and I had only just found my mom who had a wolf pack, one of the Evil Queen's forced killed one of my mom's wolves from her pack. My mom blamed Snow and tried to kill her… I couldn't let that happen."

"Because you love her?"

Ruby smiled, she brushed a strand of her hair from her face as she stared at her with those big green eyes, she wiped a bit of chocolate away from Emma's mouth and smirked as Emma pulled a face. She couldn't contain the small chuckle when Emma poked her tongue out at her in return. "Yeah, pup, I love her. Then I met your daddy, and I realised that I love both of them, luckily they both felt the same."

Emma smiled, she felt a small jolt of surprise every time that Ruby, or indeed Snow or David, called them her parents… it was so bizarre to have three of those after having twenty years of not even having one. She tried to hide a smile when Ruby pressed a kiss to the top of her head, it was lucky that Mary Margaret had been so touchy-feely as clearly Ruby was, and judging from her other mother the day before so was Snow, David had carried her back to the loft the day before but other than that she still wasn't too sure about how he'd act around her just yet.

"Emma?" She waited until she looked up at her. "You know I love you, right?"

"Oh?" She sounded surprised. "I… erm…I'm…"

"It's okay, pup, you don't have to say anything." Ruby assured her meaning every word. "I just need you to know it. I love you just as much as Snow and David do, which is a whole lot, we love you more than any of us have loved anything before. I may not have carried you, or be your dad like David is, but I've loved you since the moment I knew your mom was going to have you. You didn't grow in my stomach, but you grew in my heart, no matter how cheesy that sounds."

Luckily Emma didn't have to say anything as Tony came out holding the family's food in a couple of paper bags.

Ruby noticed Emma looking a little confused when Ruby didn't make a move towards the till. She smirked. "The plus side of Granny's being a family business, we get free food, and all the hot chocolate and cinnamon you could want." She shook her head with a smile when Emma beamed at that. "Here you take this," she passed her one of the lighter bags to carry out to the car and grabbed the drinks tray which she had put the coffees and a hot chocolate for Emma on.

Emma waited for Ruby to say goodbye to Tony, she watched her mother carefully, carefully digesting Ruby's words. She was quiet as Ruby led her out to the car, she tried to take the drinks from Ruby, but Ruby just held open the passenger for Emma.

"Sit down first, Em, I don't want you burning yourself." Ruby insisted, she didn't want her first full day of being a mother being marred by getting her kid scalded, as soon as Emma was in she held out of hands for them but Ruby just met her with a firm look. "Seat belt on."

Emma rolled her eyes but was fighting to keep the smile off of her face, she wasn't really one to follow rules or laws but Mary Margaret had seemingly constantly reminded her to wear her seatbelt, she knew that it was because she cared about her and didn't want anything to happen to her. She realised that it was the same with Ruby, she didn't want her hurt and Emma felt the same back, especially now that they knew their family connection.

Ruby passed Emma the drinks, she waited for Emma to settle them down securely on her lap, she had heard new parents talking about the drive back from the hospital and feeling the need to drive as slowly as possible just to be on the safe side, she understood that now.

"Mama?" Emma said quietly and somewhat hesitantly, she watched as Ruby beamed and stopped from closing the door. "Thanks." To anyone else it might have sounded that she was talking about the food and drinks, or the milkshake she had had earlier, but they both knew that Emma was talking about being her mother.

"It's my pleasure." She told her before gently closing the door making sure Emma wasn't getting caught at all. She got into the other side to begin the slow drive home.


	3. "And the father is..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma isn't used to having a father, or father figure, to look out for her. David's determined to try, but Emma will do anything to push him away, even demand that they take a paternity test...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who has reviewed, thank you very much! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story, feel free to send me any prompts (I have a couple which I'll be writing but I was struck with sudden inspiration for this one). If this makes you feel things feel free to blame my friend Justanoutlaw (who also writes amazing fics including Red Snowing) who gave me the idea at like at like 5am the other night.
> 
> This chapter is quite angsty, and before that one troll who seems to target Charming family writers stories, this is not (nor am I) anti-David, if anything he's my favourite, as is Daddy Charming (I mean most my fics focus on them after all). Please also bare in mind that this isn't the Emma who was there in seasons 2 and 3 and 4a (4b doesn't exist), this isn't even 28 year old season 1 Emma – this is a 20 year old Emma who went to juvie only a short time before she went to Storybrooke (she's not the parent of Henry in this). Emma who's literally only just getting used to suddenly having parents, who watched the only person who had ever been like family to her be hurt by getting involved with some married guy. She's basically a kid who has had very, very, bad experiences with all father figures in her life, she has a strong connection to David in the same way she does Ruby and Snow, but it scares her and she finds it hard to trust him. This will obviously change, and David loves her more than anything, he doesn't want to force her to have a relationship with him if she's not ready to.
> 
> Also the idea of Emma's parentage probably isn't going to be one carried on with in later chapters, it was mainly here as just a kick starter for the angst, I don't think you have to be related by blood to be family (my baby sister's adopted and she's more like my parents than any of the rest of us).
> 
> I hope you like this, review and let me know what you think or send me a prompt:  
> Tumblr ask  
> Twitter: loboselinaff

Emma was having a little trouble getting used to people no longer being cursed. After the first day of them all being curse free she had grown closer to Ruby, the way to her heart was clearly through her stomach so breakfast and a milkshake had worked wonders, plus she had largely gotten along with Ruby during the curse which had helped. Although Emma had been comfortable enough to not run away from David the first night, afterwards she had grown apart from him again, turning icier whenever she saw Ruby and Snow with him.

* * *

Emma led on the new bigger bed which barely fit in the downstairs room, it would have made more sense for them to have taken the upstairs room and Emma take the downstairs one, but they knew Emma needed her privacy. Snow sat on the bed folding the laundry as Emma 'helped' by simply lying in there, in her hands was a parcel.

"Are you going to tell me what you ordered," Snow said finally knowing full well what was in the parcel, "or do I have to guess?"

Emma sighed, fidgeting with the parcel, spinning it around. "It's from the hospital." She said simply.

Snow resisted sighing out loud, she already knew what was inside of it, and she understood in a way why. "You may as well open it, sweets, I already know what it is. You can ask."

Emma swallowed hard and tore open the packet. "They gave me enough for all four of us." She said weakly, she had only expected three but the hospital had clearly decided to amend it so Ruby was included. She could feel her heart beating hard in her chest and her palms were sweaty. She took shaky breaths, avoiding looking at Snow, as she restlessly tapped her feet against the bed.

"I'm sure Ruby would be happy to try it…" She placed her hand on Emma's cheek before brushing it through Emma's hair to gain her daughter's attention. "We understand Emma. You're not from this world but you've grown up here, finding out your paternity through a magic story book is hard, we completely understand you wanting to test it with science. You want to know if I'm biologically your mother-"

" 't's not you I'm worried about." Emma muttered under her breath.

"Emma." She sighed in frustration, she was trying to be fair and understanding, but she was caught between two people she shared true love with. "I had one night stands during the curse too. I wasn't a nun, I had sex," she watched Emma pull a face at that, "it's just you didn't know about it – you're a kid, I don't tell you everything."

"I'm not a kid." Emma whined. "And you never had enough… sex …that you had to buy a pregnancy test, did you?"

Of course, she had started to think about that. Abigale, as she was now going by, had recently announced that she and Fredrick were expecting, Snow, David, and Ruby had been thrilled for them – they hadn't had a chance to have a meal together in this world yet but they were still close friends. But for Emma it had brought to memory the sight of Katherine buying a pregnancy test and she and Mary Margaret bumping into her.

"They thought that they were married. He was just trying to make it work and follow vows he believed he made.  _I_ was the other woman in that Emma, I wasn't exactly the most moral person, we were cursed, we've all talked about this it's been dealt with."

Emma just rolled her eyes changing track. "Well, he has record. He had affairs all over the place."

"Emma."

"It wasn't just with you! He was fine having an affair with mama!" Snow went to open her mouth but Emma carried on speaking. "And it wasn't like he knew who she was, he was trying to be with you, but he wasn't trying very hard."

"Emma.  _He is your father_." She stressed. She had carried Emma after all, if any were to have had the affair and changed Emma's parentage, it would have been her. She wished she could see how alike she and David were. She wished that her daughter wasn't so desperately trying to change her father, when the father loved her so much, he'd do anything for her, but if she knew that Snow was scared Emma would ask him to go.

The room fell silent.

"I'll get them to do it." Snow sighed. She saw the mixture of sadness and fear in her daughter's eyes. "How long until you get the results?"

"Only three days." Emma mumbled. She wasn't ready to admit it but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the results. But she just couldn't trust David even if she wasn't working on actively hating him, she just tried to avoid him which was hard as he seemed to try to be wherever she was. She truly wasn't sure if she wanted him as her father, she was worried he was, but scared that he wasn't.

* * *

Four days later the four of them were sat in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor to come in and tell them the results. They already knew the answer of course, but there was a unsettling fear in their stomachs. Well, all bar Ruby's who was trying to keep everyone's spirits up.

"I don't know, pup," Ruby's eyes twinkled, "I have green eyes too… plus you whine like a little puppy, maybe you do have some of my gene."

"Do not whine." Emma glared playfully, trying to act as cool as Ruby was but her leg was bouncing so much it was shaking the chairs around it and her voice came out as a whine.

"You been experiencing the need to chase after a stick, kiddo?"

"That was  _one_  time, Princey."

Emma just stared at her leg, placing her hand on it to try and force it to still, she was too anxious to let the laugh at David's joke out. She had found it a little funny, but couldn't show it due to nerves, which just made her seem as though she was ignoring him.

Ruby slipped her hand into David's, interlocking their fingers together, she looked up at him sympathetically and he smiled quickly back down at her but she could tell that he was smiling for her benefit not genuinely. She leant against him and tilted her head back against his shoulder so that he could peck her on the lips, which he obliged. She looked over at Snow above Emma's head, sharing a look of pain for their husband, and of both being stuck in the middle of two people they shared true love with. They had both, on several separate occasions together and separately, offered to talk to Emma about it all and how he was feeling about it. He had refused point blank, and made them promise not to interfere, he had decided long ago that he wasn't going to be a pushy or interfering parent – so they were all stuck with waiting for Emma to realise what was going on, that might have worked a little better if the two would stay in a room together for more than three minutes.

Ruby's head snapped towards the door a couple of seconds before it opened and the doctor Emma had been in touch with walked through the door, Whale sauntered in behind, Snow was the only one out of the four who didn't glare at the smirking doctor.

"What the hell-" Emma cut off her growl as Snow squeezed her hand to quieten her.

"Is everything okay Doctor Whale?" Snow asked very much to the point.

Whale exchanged his smirk for his more professional face. "Sorry for the wait, it's just there was a small… abnormality… in the DNA results."

"What do you mean abnormality?" Ruby demanded, she had been in wolf mode her ears would have been pressed down in high alert mode.

Whale held up one of his hands in a calming gesture. "It's nothing to worry about."

"I just asked Doctor Whale's help to make sure that I hadn't misread it." She was mainly looking at Emma before she looked at the rest of them. "The results of the DNA test told us that Snow and David are the biological mother and father of Emma Swan."

Snow squeezed Emma's hand, when Emma looked at her she sent her a smile, it was a loving 'told you so' smile. Snow hoped that now they could start to move forward, but Emma seemed to be trying to largely avoid her look, other than a quick smile. Snow frowned looking back at the doctor. "Then what's wrong?" She glanced over at her spouses and saw they were just as worried as she was.

"It's nothing  _wrong_ ," the doctor promised, "it's…. well. You are Emma's mother..." She said looking at Snow. "…But so are you." She turned her head to look at Ruby. "But, so are you."

"What?!" All four of the Charmings demanded.

"That's not possible." Emma frowned trying to remember her school science, but it wasn't like she was ever really in school, through her own fault or other's. "…Right?"

"Is it dangerous?" David asked. He felt his blood running cold, he watched Emma, examining her as though trying to see the effects.

"Which parts of the DNA?" Ruby worried. Surely if Emma had inherited the wolf gene she would have shown signs, maybe there was a low enough percentage that she had managed to avoid it, she too started at Emma trying to get her mind around it.  
She looked at her green eyes, she could see now that the eyes seemed to be a combination of the green of Snow's and her own, along with flecks of blue which were in neither of theirs so must be David's doing. She could see Emma had her nose and her brow furrowed in the same way as hers did especially when they were confused or worried. Emma was always hers, family wasn't connected out of DNA strands it was about love, but she'd be lying if she claimed never to have been envious that David and Snow could pick out their own features in their daughter and know it wasn't just a coincidence.

"Whale?" Snow prompted.

"It's rare, but it is heard of, in an IVF infertility treatment called cytoplasmic transfer, it's banned now cause of ethical and safety concerns it was quite an interesting treatment…" His scientific enthusiasm had returned with the breaking of the curse, but he saw the hard looks David, Ruby, and Snow were sending him and the confused, kind of worried, look Emma was looking at him with. "… but this is clearly not the time… I've never heard of it happening… but I suppose with True Love, anything's possible…It doesn't seem to be related to any pre-existing medical conditions you have."

Emma felt all three of her parents' eyes boring into her, but she ignored them, she wasn't about to have that conversation anytime in the immediate future. She just stared ahead at Whale waiting for him to go on and answer the rest of the questions, her mind was racing both with the revelation of Ruby being her biological mother, and that Snow was right about David.

"You haven't passed on any of genes which would make her a werewolf." Whale promised.

The first day after the curse broke Ruby had disappeared for a few hours, she wanted to make sure that there wasn't going to be some consequences to the form of magic now in the town. She didn't want to hurt anyone, especially her family, but at least she knew that her husband and wife could defend themselves (not that wolf her would hurt them even out of control) but she didn't want to even chance it. Luckily when Whale ran the tests the werewolf gene was so obvious he saw it as soon as she DNA came through, he had been working the doctor on the Charming's test results so had pointed it out in Ruby's and automatically checked that it wasn't there in Emma's.

"So, erm, it's mostly what we were expecting… except obviously…" The doctor trailed off she wasn't sure what she should say in this situation, she looked at Whale who looked deeply amused by this.

"Congratulations... it's a girl?" Whale offered Ruby. He was relieved to see Emma now smiling at Emma, the last thing he needed was the hospital to turn into one of those daytime TV shows where families have screaming wars, he had more important things of his own to work through.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, the family continued to get used to being a family, Snow wasn't back on yet so Snow was at home, as was Ruby most of the time, David had been asked to take over to role of sheriff after the last one retired, so he was there most of the time. The revelation hadn't really changed anything between them, it just meant Ruby, Snow, and David would point out to each other and her the different part of her which were like her mama, Emma would pretend to roll her eyes and be it was nice.  
Snow and Ruby had also taken to doing the same about her and David though, that was where Emma drew the line, she didn't even pretend to not mind that. She had known David through the curse, through his and Mary Margaret's actions, and yes, her mother's actions were wrong, but at least she hadn't been the one to cheat, and lead him on, before going back to her wife – he had.

Slowly but surely David started to become quiet around her, his glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking were annoying her to no end, soon she acted as though he wasn't there when they were in a room together he quickly cottoned on to the fact she didn't want to talk to him, they only passed a few words, usually for the sake of Ruby and Snow.

Snow and Ruby weren't oblivious to this, they were just helpless. Snow had talked to David and asked him if he wanted her to talk to Emma, to find out what was bothering her, to talk to sense into her. And Ruby had offered to turn into a wolf and sit on Emma to force her to talk to him. He continued to turn them down, it had to be Emma's choice, or it meant nothing. He continued to try and hide his hurt from his wives, which was nearly impossible, he acted overjoyed for Ruby that part wasn't a lie, he was overjoyed for her, it's just he had Emma on his mind all the time. The whole thing was bittersweet and he had no idea what to do to fix it.

* * *

Naturally, the news of Emma's parentage spread across the town, there were of course people who didn't like or approve of it but they were the people who had never approved of the trio's relationship, and they didn't matter. For the most part it was celebrated, the royals were well loved and when it was announced that Snow was pregnant while they were in the Enchanted Forest it was greatly celebrated, sadly they had never gotten to hold an event to celebrate her birth – so instead they decided upon a party. The loft was to be filled with food, alcohol, music, and their closest friends.

Emma would be lying if she claimed not to be impressed with her mothers' alcohol tolerance, particularly Snow's, who managed to out drink all the dwarves, even Leroy. Emma stuck mostly to Ruby's and/or Snow's side as the party went on, she was enjoying herself despite being a little uncomfortable in general in the large gathering, and everyone seemed to know her and her parents – for a girl who was practically invisible for twenty years it was a little bizarre. So she stayed by her mothers' sides, but she also caught herself looking for David in the crowds, she wasn't sure why she was making sure he was there, that alone scared her. He seemed to be just as uncomfortable as she was, she knew a fake smile when she saw one and he barely joined in with anything, he seemed to be the only other one, besides her, who wasn't drinking. He only perked up when Snow appeared at his side: joking, flirting, and kissing though Emma looked away at that one, instead focusing on talking to her mama whom she hadn't seen him spend time with at all that night.

Soon, Ruby and Snow were a little more than tipsy, but they were pleasant and kind, and still were caring about Emma (largely making sure she wasn't drinking anything alcoholic). She found herself looking for David again, she watched him snatch up his keys, and leave the loft. Leave them.

Anger lit inside Emma like a furnace, she left her mothers' sides and followed him down to the car park, she didn't even stop to put on shoes or a jacket.

"Hey! David!"

David heard the voice and span around. "Em, what are you doing out here?... It's late you should probably go back inside." But she didn't budge.

"You can't even  _pretend_  to be happy for her?" Emma interrupted with a glare. She hadn't liked him before, even when he was the guy Mary Margaret was having an affair with, now she hated to even think she shared a single gene with him.

"I  _am_ happy for her." David insisted and he wasn't lying at all. "She was always your mama but I'm happy that there's this connection too."

"If you're so happy then why were you avoiding her?" She challenged, the venom was still in her voice, and her eyes were narrowed at him.

"I'm not!" He shouted, they could both hear the distant music from the loft despite the distance, he let out a deep and desperate sigh when his frustration got the better of him. When he looked at her his eyes were lost. "…. I'm avoiding you." He finished calmly but there was an edge of shame in his voice.

Emma gave a mirthless laugh, she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, before looking back at him. "Why am I not surprised? You were a deadbeat when you were supposedly cursed, and you're one now, I always guessed my ' _father'_ was but I guess even that whole ' _Prince Charming_ ' thing doesn't change that."

"Have you ever considered that I'm heartbroken?" He countered.

"Over  _Katherine_? What you can't live without the 'excitement' of cheating, so now you're going to try and start something with her again?" Emma scoffed dismissively. She had never  _truly_  hated David but she was starting to now. She felt sick.

"I'm heartbroken over  _you_." He received a lost look in return and he was no longer careful to hide the hurt on his face. "You were so desperate for me to be nothing to do with you that you tried to prove it with a paternity test. A paternity test which would have only have shown that my wife cheated on me and our wife – but that  _my_ baby, who I fell in love with from the moment we all decided we wanted to have children together, who I talked and sang to when she was in her mommy's stomach, who I held as soon as she was born, that I am beyond proud of and in love with, was some random man's. Would rather hope to tear my marriage apart than that?"

"…That's not-…. I would never want to hurt mama-" She tried to fumble for some fake excuse but they all sounded so much stronger in her head that as soon as they materialised the evaporated unspoken into the cold air.

"What if I hadn't turned out to be your biological father? What if you were only Ruby and Snow's? Or just Snow's?" He questioned rapidly. "Would you have asked them to break up with me? Or told them that you want absolutely nothing to do with me?"

Emma wasn't sure she wanted to know her answer to those questions. She didn't think she would have, but she couldn't say that for certain, for reasons she couldn't quite grasp her mothers loved him. "Well, what would you have done?" She countered. "Would you have run off or something? Like you're trying to do now. I guess I did get something from you."

David heaved a deep sigh, he had been alive for fifty-five years in total, and he felt them all crashing down upon him now. When he spoke, his voice was breaking, his eyes full of pain, but he was truthful. "If you wanted me to… If you  _genuinely, whole heartedly_ , wanted me to… I'd leave the loft.  _I won't leave your mommy and mama_ , and I'm  _never abandoning you_ , no matter what you say. But if you can't stand to be in your home just in because I'm there… then I'll move out, temporarily. I'll stay at the inn until you're comfortable." She wasn't looking at him but he continued. "It'll hurt to be apart from you all again, but I share true love with all three of you, and I learnt from my mother that you always put your kid first. I'd do anything for you, kiddo, we all would, even if it meant being apart."

Emma was silent as she scuffed her socked feet against the car park tarmac, it hurt a little and she wished she had brought her shoes, but it also stopped herself from running away.

David sighed though he tried to make sure Emma didn't hear it. She still didn't speak even after a couple of minutes of silence between them, where the only noise was people in the loft passionately singing along to 'Come on Eileen', Ruby and Snow's voices more prominent than the rest.  
"I should get to the station." He cleared his throat. "You should get back inside, it's cold out, and late." She didn't respond, even as he headed for the squad car, as he started to drive out of the parking space she headed back for the apartment.

* * *

Ruby and Snow were sat at the kitchen island when Emma came down the stairs, four nights after she had last spoken to David, or even looked at him on purpose. In fact she had barely even seen him, now she came to think of it, she would every so often hear the low rumble of his voice from a different room, or catch the smell of his aftershave. They were alone, and had stopped talking as soon as she had entered the room, she normally would have kicked up a fuss but she didn't think she wanted to know the answer.

"David's at work." Snow told her though Emma hadn't asked.

"Shame." She murmured sarcastically.

"He almost died."

Emma looked up at Ruby alarmed. "What?" How the hell had she slept through that?

"He almost  _died_." Ruby repeated shortly, the mood around the loft was not fun for anyone, but she could sense the emotions coming off of people, which made it much worse for her. "When you were born. He raced to save you, fighting off multiple knights one handed all the while making sure not to jostle you and keeping you  _safe._  He got stabbed a few times, he has the  _scars_ , he got you into the wardrobe then collapsed. He was seconds away from death when the curse came. It saved him, just, put him in a coma and gave him twenty years to recover. He has scars which bring tears to my and your mommy's eyes, but he says they're worth it, because  _you're_  still here."

"What d'you expect me to do with this information?" Emma asked after a pause. She would rather she just told her what to do then make her come to the decision herself. She reached for a mug of coffee and Snow pulled it away from her, passing her hot chocolate, before claiming the mug for her own.

Ruby sighed in frustration. "Whatever the hell you want, pup, whatever  _you_  want." Trust her to have inherited all three of their stubbornness, though Ruby blamed Snow most of all, she was clearly more stubborn than she and David.

Emma stared down at her drink for a second, it was too much to think about right then, she needed to clear her head. "Right…whatever, I'm gonna get changed, I'm going out."

* * *

Emma had spent the day just walking around Storybrooke, avoid people, particularly her parents. She just spent the time thinking. She felt terrible, she just could place why, she just wanted a do over. She got back to the loft at night time and headed straight up to her room, ignoring her moms' voices and their concerned looks. She quickly changed into her pyjamas and climbed into her bed. She led there for several hours waiting for sleep to take her, but it would not come, instead her head was swarming with thoughts. She climbed out of the bed and her room, onto the fire escape and onto the roof.

She had gone there when Katherine had disappeared and Mary Margaret was suspected of killing her. She was terrified. She would just go sit up there and feel both helpless and hopeless. She walked out of habit to where she usually sat, not really paying attention to her surroundings, it was only when she was already next to him that she realised David was already up there, the story book full of the fairy tales was in front of him.

What was more unusual was that the empty feeling of dread which had been in her had changed. To  _relief?_

When he looked up at her she saw he looked worn down, exhausted, and old. She hated that. But she hated that  _she_  was the cause even more. He opened his mouth as though to talk but it was clear he didn't know what to say, she just shook her head to ask him to let her speak first, he closed his mouth looking at her wearily.

"The last few days have sucked." She admitted in a small voice. His face turned concerned as though he was about to jump up and protect her from anything which would bother her. "I've been trying to figure out why… and I realised that… well, you've barely been here. I haven't seen or spoke to you, and everything's sucked. But I… I don't know how to do this."

"I'm not sure either." He admitted. "But I want to try."

"It's hard for me, this whole…  _trusting_  you, thing."

David nodded understandingly, but he was elated that she was even talking to him, let alone nicely. "I understand, you knew me as David Nolan, I'm not a huge fan of him either. He hurt,  _I hurt_ , Snow. I would have hated and mistrusted me too."

"I didn't-" She sighed "I didn't hate you, not really, I mean you screwed up big time but it was like there was some spell to stop me from hating you. And when you and Mary Margaret were together, she was happy, I mean annoying and sickeningly so, singing along to every cheesy pop song." She rolled her eyes at the memory and a small smile appeared when he chuckled. "It's not because it's  _you_ , it's just…." She sighed again trailing off as she internally debated whether to admit certain things about her past to him. She dropped to the floor to sit beside him.

"I grew up in care, I had a home with a family until I was three years old, then she got pregnant… I had a few health issues, I was like developmentally delayed and shit… they decided that they couldn't cope with me as well as a new baby… after that I was sent from foster home to foster home, none of them good, the best ones were group homes and even they usually sucked… most of the time I was… well, the foster dads were a little heavy handed- turns out they believe an adult over a fourteen year old who looks about ten when she says he hit her but he claims she's clumsy and fell down the stairs." She swallowed hard. "Some just decided I wasn't a 'good fit', and that was best case scenario… they all… I got hurt by a lot of people who were meant to be father figures…Then I got together with people who were, well, most of the guys were assholes. The last one screwed me over big time, left me holding stolen watches, the judge sent me to juvie, he went to Canada. Every guy who has ever been in my life, foster dads, social workers, boyfriends, hell even August, has screwed me over or abandoned me. I can't have you do that too. It'd be too much. You're…" She looked down sniffling, "…You're actually my daddy… I don't want you to leave too… it was easier to not know who my dad is, that to know, get close to you, and you leave…"

David tilted her head up to look at them, they were both a mess of blonde hair and tears, but neither cared.  
"I'm so sorry you went through all of them Emma. If I had known I would have found another way, any way, you were meant to grow up with us – if you couldn't have that we wanted you to grow up at least cared for and protected." He ignored the tears rolling down his own cheeks but gently wiped the ones on hers away. He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her when he saw her shivering slightly. "I'm never abandoning you. Ever. My own father… he would often abandon me and my mother for days at a time to go out drinking, even when he was there, he wasn't really. He died when I was young, and I swore that when I had children I would never do the same to them, that I'd never abandon them."

"I'll try." She nodded. "It's not going to be easy, and I'll probably mess up, big time, and a lot – I'll get worried, or distant, or read the situation wrong. But I'll  _try._ Just… don't give up on me?"

"How could I give up on you? You're perfect. You're my daughter." He smiled down at her lovingly. "I love you more than anything in any realm."

Emma gave him a small smile but wasn't yet ready to say anything of the sort back. She took a leap of faith and slowly leant against him. She relaxed when he wrapped his arm around her.

David noticed how tired she looked and felt very protective all of a sudden. "It's late, why don't we both get some rest?"

Emma shook her head. "…. Mama said you got hurt saving me…. What were you reading?"

David smirked in the darkness, taking the hint he picked up the story book and flipped to his, Snow, and Ruby's story. "Once upon a time…"

* * *

When Emma woke up she was in her bed, she tried to sit up but it was a little bit of a struggle, when she sat up she realised it was because she had fallen asleep on the roof with David as he read her their story, correcting the bits he claimed were wrong, and jokingly embellishing his actions (not that they really needed a. He must have carried her down and tucked her into the bed.

Maybe trying to get to know him wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.

She smelt cooked breakfast, pancakes, and smiled – Ruby must be cooking breakfast. She quickly dressed and raced down the stairs.

Ruby and Snow were both sat at the table, they smiled over at her as she descended the stairs, David headed over with a plate of pancakes. He gave her a slightly nervous and hopeful smile, she responded with a small smile of her own.

Snow and Ruby noticed the practically identical smiles pass between the pair, they smiled at each other, David had already filled them in on his and Emma's talk the night before (saying simply that she had told him briefly about her past) and had tried to play down how hopeful he was that Emma would still feel the same after sleeping.

They ate breakfast quietly, Emma wasn't a morning person but she still chimed in comments to things all three of her parents said, she happily ate the double chocolate pancakes David had made especially for her. Once they were finished Ruby, Snow, and David moved in tandem to collect the dishes and dirty cutlery, before Emma even had a chance to move.

She watched them for a few minutes. She became aware of how utterly in love the three were – David was stood behind Snow, his arms snaked around her waist and his head ducked to rest on her shoulder smirking at Ruby, as Snow attempted to wash up Ruby was trying to flick bubbles from the sink at David. Snow eventually shooed them away, trying to be stern but the smile on her face spoke greater volumes, Emma laughed quietly as she watched them. David looked over at her with his charming smile and twinkling blue eyes.

For the second time in less than twelve hours Emma took a leap of faith. "Hey dad-  _dadvid_ ," dammit she thought, " _David_?"

David looked amused and Ruby had put her hand over her mouth to pretend that she wasn't laughing, having sensed Emma's frustration over her Freudian slip, but she was laughing loudly which made the hand over the mouth pointless.

"Yes kiddo?" He said brightly, he playfully pushed Ruby back towards the kitchen so Emma wouldn't get overly embarrassed.

"Do you… do you maybe wanna come with me to the arcade?" She asked before she started to babble nervously, "Or we could do something else? Unless you don't want to. Or you're working, or something."

"That's so Snow." Ruby mumbled and gained water being flicked at her by her wife, Ruby grinned waking back over to Snow, she wrapped one arm around her waist, the other she dipped into the water and flicked water back at her.

David's eyes didn't leave Emma, despite the commotion behind him. "I'd love to go to the arcade with you." He beamed at her as she looked made up for half a second, before she dampened it and tried to play it cool, but he knew the truth. "Luckily, I'm not quite as competitive as your mommy, so I won't purposely try at win at  _any costs_."

Emma smirked. "Oh, trust me, I know. I played air hockey against her before you all became, well, you guys."

David grimaced as Snow shouted a protest. "I'm sorry kid, no one should have to go through that."  
He glanced at Snow who was sending him a mock glare, but he knew his wife too well, he knew she was relieved that he and Emma were starting to become close. Ruby was giving him a similar look, with Snow pulled against her side.  
"I think you need that to be made up to you, how about once we've finished we go grab a chocolate milk, I'm sure if you tell Granny your tale of woe she'll make yours extra chocolatey."

Emma beamed outright then. "And grilled cheese?"

"Of course, with onion rings, it's the best way to have them." David threw his arm around her shoulders and led her over towards the door.

"Wear a jacket!" Snow called as David grabbed his and Emma's jackets, and the two left the apartment, shouting their goodbyes.

"Everything's going to be all okay and peaceful now." Snow mused contently, she pulled Ruby down slightly to kiss her.

Ruby laughed against lips. "Oh, Snow White, when has our life been peaceful?" she felt Snow smile against her lips as she deepened the kiss…. It was probably a good thing David would be keep Emma occupied for the next few hours….


	4. Please leave me alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the Tumblr prompt by Justanoutlaw "Please leave me alone".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that I put this in Breathless instead of in this story, whoops, thank you wuvtoread for letting me know!

Over the next few weeks since the DNA test things in the Charming household had calmed down a lot. Emma and David had started to bond a lot more, it was clear that Emma was a daddy’s girl though she tried to be subtle about it, and Ruby, Snow, and David’s relationship had resolved back to how it had been before they were all cursed, they fell back into place with each other. Ruby, Snow, and David all worked but at least one of them was always home with Emma, they tried not to be stifling as they knew that technically she was an adult even if she didn’t act like it, but it quickly became apparent that Emma really didn’t mind being with them all of the time. If she was with Ruby when she suddenly

Suddenly, on a Friday evening, Emma started to pull away from them. She was just as affectionate when she was around them, but she wasn’t around them often, she kept making excuses to go out or to be in her room, she was eating less but she had said she had grabbed food out. They had all noticed it, but they decided to give her some space for a few days, if she was still distant by Monday evening they would sit her down and talk to her.

On Sunday Ruby woke up during the night with a feeling that something was off. She looked over at her spouses who were curled on either side of her. They were both there and fine. Her heart skipped a beat as she wiggled out from between her spouses and climbed out of bed. She left their bedroom and started to head up the stairs to check on Emma but she paused on the steps, her werewolf senses picking up a whole mess of feelings – guilt, fear, anxiety and dread.

She turned her head and followed the trail of the emotions, past the kitchen and into the little laundry room off from it. The light wasn’t on but she could see Emma clearer than humans could, though she couldn’t make out what was going on. “Em?” She heard a gasp and saw Emma’s silhouette freeze. “Em, it’s just me, mama.” She soothed her hand going to the light switch. “I’m just going to turn on the light, okay?” She had barely gotten out the last word when she heard Emma’s panicked shout.

“No!” Emma could feel her heart beating out of her chest as she shouted, forgetting that everyone else in the loft was asleep, but she wasn’t thinking about that. She forced herself to make her voice sound calm, or as calm as it could go. “No, I’m fine, I’m fine go back to bed.”

Ruby shook her head despite Emma not being able to see her. “No, Emma, I’m not going to do that.” She told her gently. “I can hear that you’re not fine. So, I’m going to turn this light on, so that I can know what’s wrong, then I can help you.”

“Please leave me alone.” Emma croaked.

Ruby sighed gently. “That’s never going to happen, pup.” She could sense Emma’s embarrassment and fear increase. “Cover your eyes, pup.” She flicked the light on.

Emma stood blinking as she adjusted to the change of light, in her arms were the sheets from her bed, she stood shivering. Her face was completely drained of colour.

Ruby’s schooled expression dropped for one of worry and she stepped forward making Emma step back, she held her hands up surrender as she tried to show nothing bad was going to happen, she wanted to kill the people or person who made Emma scared of a person taking a step towards her. “It’s okay pup.” She said as though talking to a small child. “Let me take those off you and put them in the wash then we can sort you out.”

Emma lost all the strength in her arms as she let Ruby tug them from her arms, she felt her stomach turn with nausea and confusion, maybe Ruby didn’t understand what was going on, maybe Emma could use that to her advantage. “It’s not what it looks like.” She stammered.

Ruby cocked her eyebrow, but gave Emma a gentle look to show her that she knew exactly what had happened but that she didn’t care, she threw the sheets into the open washer before realising that Emma was still shivering in her wet pyjamas. “Oh pup.” She said quietly. “It’s okay, it was just an accident, nothing you need to worry about.” She reached her hand out to brush a strand of hair from Emma’s face, as she did so she brushed past Emma’s forehead. She gasped and led the back of her hand against her forehead despite Emma trying to pull away.

“Mama, I’m fine, please leave me alone.” She half whined half begged, but Ruby kept her hand on her forehead and fixed her with a firm look which was much more common to see on Snow than on Ruby, its rarity worked its magic on Emma and she stayed still, pouting a little. She heard footsteps getting closer to the room and she shrunk back as Snow and David came stumbling in their faces creased with worry.

“We thought we heard shouting.” Snow eyed Emma before looking at Ruby, while David kept his eyes fixed on Emma, taking in all the clues as to what was up. “What’s going on?”

Ruby took her hand from Emma’s burning forehead, she had already heard Emma croaky voice, she was shivering despite her temperature, she was pale as a sheet, and was obviously having some difficulty holding herself upright. “Emma’s sick.” She announced.

“No, I’m not.” Emma mumbled, she heard how it came out more like a whine than she had intended but there was nothing she could do about that.

“Aw baby.” Snow ignored Emma’s protest as she held her hand to her forehead. She looked at Ruby sharing a secret conversation.

They both glanced at David and he nodded to show that he had understood they were both as scared as he was, they had never dealt with Emma being ill, they all were struggling to remain calm for Emma’s sake.

“I’ll grab her some pyjamas, and see what medicine we have around here, we can stock up some more tomorrow. I’m pretty sure we still have the bottle from when she had a headache during the curse.” Snow said, she had remembered how hard it to even get Emma to admit that she had a headache, as though she felt like she wasn’t allowed one.

“Thanks, I’ll help Emma clean up in her bath, I think she’s

“I’m not sick.” She tried to swallow the panic which was rising even as her eyes watered without permission. She clutched onto the machines trying to keep herself from swaying or falling down.

“Hey.” David hushed gently. He moved past Ruby to stand next to Emma. “You are, but that’s okay, you’re sick and it’s our job to look after you, you’re the kid we’re the parents. But it’s not just a job, we want to do it. Nothing bad is going to happen just because you’re sick.” He went to pick her up and she moved backwards.

“I… I’m…” Her eyes flickered to the washing machine then down at herself, ashamed. Suddenly she felt herself being swooped up into the air and when she looked she was in David’s arms and he was smiling gently at her.

“It’s okay, kiddo, I got you.” He kissed her forehead before smiling over at his wives. “Rubes, I’ll take her to the bathroom for you, then I’ll sort out the sheets.”

Ruby led the way to the bathroom and started to run the water, making sure it was warm enough for her but was cool to take her temperature down slightly. She turned to look at Emma who David had sat on the closed toilet seat before he had left. “Hey pup, let’s get you sorted out quickly so you can get back to bed, you need to get more sleep.”

Emma looked like a kick puppy as Ruby helped her get into the bath. “I’m sorry mama… I didn’t mean to... and I’m sorry I’m sick…”

Ruby frowned as to why Emma thought she had to apologise. She stroked Emma’s hair. “Hey, sweetie, it’s not your fault. It was an accident, we know that you didn’t mean to, it’s probably because you’re sick.”

“I used to have accidents…. Wet the bed, a lot… even when I was a teenager…. Most the time the foster parents would make me sleep on newspapers… sometimes instead of a mattress…I haven’t had one for years though!” She added quickly and desperately.

Ruby was surprised that Emma was offering up the information so freely, normally it took some effort to get her to speak about her past. “I believe you. I’m sorry that you had to go through that for so long, and I’m sure that it’s just a one off but even if it happened more than just this time we’d help you, not like that. We’d never do that to you, we love you, no matter what difficulties you face we’ll always be right beside you.”

Emma rubbed her eyes with her fist, she felt exhausted, she’d been trying to ignore, then fight, then hide whatever illness she had. She was so tired. She just wanted her parents, all of them, she hated how being ill always made her feel clingy, perhaps it was worse now that she had people she could be clingy towards.

Snow knocked onto the door and walked into the room

“Pup, can I ask you a question?” She grabbed Snow’s usual shower gel and started to wash Emma who looked like she might fall asleep any moment. Ruby was usually protective but now she felt even more so seeing her child looking so young and sick.

Emma blinked and looked blearily at her mother. She nodded and tried to hide a yawn.

“Why did you hide being sick from us? From me, and mommy, and daddy?” Her voice soft and hurt but she was trying to be understanding.

Emma sank down a little in herself, she always felt younger when her parents were referred to or called themselves and each other that. But then it was the titles which she felt most natural calling them, they didn’t care that she was immature or when she messed up, but the fear was still always in the back of her mind. Emma shrugged her shoulders “Normally foster parents ignore when I’m sick, they just left me to deal with it, normally it’d get worse and I’d end up in hospital… I’d be alone until my social worker came and told me that it just wasn’t a good fit, then I’d be moved… Sometimes I’d be in trouble for getting sick.”

Ruby’s heart broke. “Pup…”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” She let her mama help her out and wrap a towel around her, she would have protested Ruby helping her dry and dressed but she didn’t have the energy to pretend to care at that moment, she frowned when a t-shirt which was far too big was pulled over her head. “This isn’t mine.”

Ruby nodded her head in agreement. “The t-shirt is David’s and the sweats are Snow’s, we didn’t realise that you only have two pairs of pyjamas,” she chided softly, “we’ll go shopping when you’re feeling better.”

“I’m not sick.”  Emma pouted, and when she realised that she was pouting it only increased more, she saw her mama trying to hide a laugh and she stuck her tongue out swaying a little from having to stand up.

Ruby’s hand went to Emma’s head, her werewolf genes only increased her mom skills of being able tell the temperature of her child, she frowned a little bit. “You still have a temperature, it’s down a little bit from your bath, but it’s still a fever.” She swooped her up into her arms making Emma make a whining noise.

“Don’t need a lift! And I’m not sick!”

Ruby snorted as she carried her through to the kitchen where David and Snow were. “Whiny puppy.” She teased though she didn’t feel like she was far from the mark. “Take some medicine so we can all head to bed, pup.” She stroked Emma’s hair as she spoke.

Emma’s pout only increased but it was tinged with some sadness, the couch was the most uncomfortable thing she had ever known, and she had slept on cardboard on the street for a month. But she knew that her parents would be working the next day and they all needed their sleep. “I hate medicine, and tablets, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s why I have children’s medicine for you, cherry flavour.” Snow told her as she measured out the right amount for Emma, she held out the cup towards Emma who did not take it. “Em.” Her soft voice had an edge of warning towards it. 

“Aw poor baby.” David cooed, only slightly teasingly, as he left the laundry room with Emma’s blanket in his hand.

Emma thrust her hand out towards her blanket but David moved it slightly out of reach. “Hey!”

David forced himself not to smile at her adorable whine. “Medicine, then you can have it.”

Emma took the cup and swallowed the medicine, glaring and pouting all the while, it was so unfair how well her parents worked together. She passed the cup back to Snow and held out her hand for her blanket again smiling as David gave it back to her. She realised that David must have placed it in the dryer to warm it up when she felt how warm it was, she brought it to her face and took a deep breath in. It smelt like home. She had realised that the first time that Snow had washed it, when they were all first together as a family, she had worried it would lose the smelt she had always associated with her birth family and had been terrified when she first smelt it, but the scent had just increased, the one she associated with her parents. She brought herself out of her head to hear what her parents were discussing.

“I just text Granny, letting her know that the pup’s sick so I won’t be in tomorrow – well, today I guess, no doubt we’ll be sent vats of soup and care packages for her great granddaughter.” She shook her head with a small laugh as though she wasn’t a complete push over too.

“I have to go in until lunch, but then I can get a supply for up to the rest of the week.” Snow finished washing up the cup, dried it off, and put it back next to the medicine, ready for Emma’s next dose.

“I just need to grab some paperwork, but that’ll only take ten minutes, plus however long it takes for Graham to worry about Emma and give me candy to smuggle to her.” He smirked at the fact his partner did that every time that David mentioned something going on with Emma.

Emma frowned. “You’re all staying home with me?” She was used to dealing with things alone, not people going out of the way to make sure they were with her.

David, Ruby, and Snow all looked confused. “Of course, you’re our baby, where else would we be?”

Emma’s mouth fell open but she wasn’t sure what to say, it was hard for her to understand, but she didn’t have an answer for her parents which they wouldn’t have an argument against. She didn’t complain about David picking her up, she didn’t want to have to leave her parents to sleep on the couch, but she didn’t want to push anything they were staying home the next day with her as it was. Anyway, perhaps she could just watch movies on the tv. She was confused as David headed through to the master bedroom, but she assumed that he was grabbing something until he placed her down into the middle of the bed. “Wait… I’m staying here… with you guys?” She said slowly, her father was lighting a candle as he knew that she didn’t like the dark before he climbed in beside her, her mom took off her robe before climbing in on the other side, and Ruby changed into her werewolf form and settled onto the pillows above their heads. It wasn’t unusual for David and Ruby to put together a bed out of the mattresses in the living room, but this felt even more comfortable, somehow, she felt closer to her parents.

“Of course, you’re our baby and you’re sick,” Snow said without hesitation, “where else would you be?”

Emma was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say, she couldn’t even bring herself to make an empty protest. She felt sick but she had never felt happier or more secure.

“We need a bigger bed,” David decided, “or a dog’s bed.” He chuckled as his wolf-wife huffed at his teasing.

“Don’t leave me.” Emma mumbled letting her eyes shut. She half led on David’s chest, with Snow’s arms wrapped around her, and Ruby’s fur from her head soft against her own.

“Never.” Snow swore.

“We promise.” David added.

Ruby nuzzled her head against her pup’s before grooming her hair, lulling her pup to sleep, listening as her baby and her partners’ hearts slowed to sleep before letting her own do the same.


	5. Spoiling not spoilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby, Snow, David, and Emma go shopping at the mall.

 

“Em.”

Emma groaned at the calling of her name but stayed asleep.

“Emmy.”

Emma groaned louder at the sing-song voice. “No.”

David just chuckled and nudged her again, watching her face scrunch up in protest as she led asleep curled on top of him, he kissed the top of her head. “Come on Emmy, wakey wakey time.”

“No.” Emma mumbled again but the sleep spell had broken and she was firmly awake. “Sleep time.”

David chuckled, he kissed the top of her head again, he glanced over at Ruby who was finishing getting dressed in the room there was a smile on her face at their daughter’s stubborn reluctance to wake or move from where she was cuddled. He looked back down at his daughter. “Come on Emmy, time to get up, we’ve got a busy day.”

Emma sighed and opened her eyes, she moved her head so that her chin was rested on his chest, pouting up at him. “It’s too early.” She whined watching David playfully roll his eyes.

“It’s already turned eight, pup,” Emma groaned. Ruby finished fastening in her earring and walked over ruffling her pouting kid’s hair, “we’ve all been up for over an hour, it’s just your daddy who’s not been able to move.”

“Shame.” David deadpanned, he may have been a shepherd but he certainly did not like to wake up too early, though quarter past seven had been fine for him.

“Eight’s too early.” Emma whined ignoring all of their bantering in favour of letting her head fall back to rest against David.  

“Aw, cranky puppy.” Ruby teased, she leant down to kiss the top of Emma’s head. “Come on, we’re heading out of town for today, a big day out to do some shopping.”

“I hate shopping.”

“Uh huh,” Ruby nodded but she was glad to see Emma sitting up, “and waking up, I know. But we need to all get some new clothes because there’s no way in hell I’m wearing more than one of my cursed outfits.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with them.” David sat up smirking as he stretched, he laughed as Emma turned bright red and Ruby looked proud that they had managed to embarrass their kid, he grinned back at his wife.

“Okay pup, time to get up, go use the bathroom before your daddy jumps in the shower.” Ruby coaxed.

“I’m not five, I don’t need you to remind me to go to the bathroom.” Emma pouted as she moved out from under the covers and into the room which wasn’t cold but it was a whole lot cooler than the bed had been.

“Uh huh.” Ruby grabbed Emma’s clothes for the day and chucked them over to

Emma was about to protest at her mother’s disbelief but she realised that she couldn’t hear her other mother moving about. “Where’s mommy?”

David and Ruby shared a smile, Emma had started to effortlessly call them by the names mommy, daddy, and mama, each time it came out freer than the last time, and it filled their hearts with joy.  “She’s grabbing our order from Granny’s and talking to Marco about the work he’s doing today.” She said casually.

“He’s taking forever building your bed.” Emma rolled her eyes as she stood up and stretched, Ruby moved back to avoid being hit effortlessly, and she started to walk somewhat uncoordinatedly to the bathroom.

“Well there is three of us so it has to be bigger.” Ruby reminded her. “And he had to build it upstairs so he could get it up to where our new room is going to be.”

“Three people plus an Emma.” David added, he laughed as she turned back around to glare and stick her tongue out at him. “Not that we mind.” He added gently, it was still early days in their relationship with Emma, and they constantly needed to reassure her that they really didn’t mind her closeness to them, it was quite the opposite they loved having her around. She practically acted like a little kid, she had never got to relax enough to be one in her past twenty years of life, she could act as young as she wanted.

Ruby smiled in agreement and watched a small smile appear on Emma’s face in return. “Go on, pup, your mommy will be back with breakfast soon.”

“It’s still too early.” Emma grumbled, but continued to walk, her parents followed her they headed towards the coffee as she headed for the bathroom.

“Maybe you need an earlier bedtime,” Ruby teased as she poured coffee for herself and her husband, “instead of staying up and watching a marathon of movie.”

Emma looked back at her with the upmost offence. “Daddy hadn’t seen How to train your dragon, he needed to watch them!” As she shut the bathroom door she heard them chuckling at her response.  

 

* * *

 

 

When Emma exited the bathroom she was met with all three of her parents sat around the kitchen table, she tried to hide her grin at seeing Snow home, she had recently started to feel most at peace only when all three of her parents were around. She wouldn’t trade it for being alone again, despite how vulnerable it made her feel. Being open to people was a very new thing for her, it terrified her, but her parents were trying so hard, so why shouldn’t she?

“Hey, honey, did you sleep well?” Snow greeted, she leant over and kissed Emma’s cheek when Emma sat in the seat she had indicated for her to take.

“Daddy woke me up.” Emma pouted but she could see that she was going to get no sympathy from her parents as she tucked into her Granny’s breakfast.

“Maybe you need a bedtime.” Snow said and was only half joking.

“That’s what I said!” Ruby grinned elated and leant across the table to high-five her wife, before ruffling their kid’s hair. “Maybe it’s because her daddy’s wrapped around her finger.”

David shrugged and took a long sip of his coffee. “Probably.”

“ _Dragons_.” Emma said insistently as though that was all that she needed to say. “Hey do you think we’ll see Toothless in-“

“You’re not getting a dragon.”  
“No way.”  
“Don’t even think about it.” Her parents all chimed in at the same time.

Emma huffed and pouted as she bit into her pastry and sipped her hot chocolate, despite their instant words she was fairly certain that if a dragon turned up in Storybrooke she could charm her parents into letting her keep it. “So, where _are_ we going that we need to be up so early.”

“We told you, we’re going to be doing some shopping, outside of town.” Ruby had seen this coming, Emma was impatient, they were all to blame as she had inherited it from them, but that didn’t mean that they were going to tell her.

 

* * *

 

They bundled into Snow’s jeep, after having decided that it was the one with the most room in the trunk, if they needed anything delivered then Regina had given Snow a fake address which stores could deliver to, that way they wouldn’t enter the town. Ruby volunteered to drive, she made a teasing show about adjusting the seat to suit her height.

“You’re just a couple of inches taller than me.” Snow protested, climbing into the front seat beside her, as David and Emma slid into the back. 

“I could drive.” Emma suggested as she closed the door.

“Nope,” David said calmly he knew that they had been over it many times before and that Emma already knew what their answer would be, “you don’t have a licence. Not a _valid_ one at least.”

Emma shrugged her shoulders. “It worked for me.”

“Hmm.” David hummed disapprovingly. Not necessarily just at Emma’s haphazard attitude towards the law, and the fact that he had seen her driving and thought that it might be a miracle she hadn’t been stopped by the cops before she got to Storybrooke, but also because he knew that the car wasn’t just transport, it was her home. She had been failed by countless foster families and the entire system in which it had become necessary for her to think that living in her car was the best solution. “Put your belt on, kiddo.” He fixed her with a look knowing how stubborn she was about the matter.

Emma rolled her eyes but clicked it into place. “Now, can I know where we’re going?”

Snow managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes she was planning on blaming her stubbornness , instead she reached into her bag and pulled out two very old looking Nintendo D.S’s that belonged to Emma, one of her very few possessions. “Here, you two can have a Mario Kart war, it’ll be a couple of hours before we get there.”

David grinned and accepted them passing one of them to Emma.

“No, that’s the wrong one.”

David raised his eyebrow, handed over the blue one, accepted the silver one in return. “Is there an important difference between these two?”

Emma shrugged her shoulders. “I go faster with the blue one.”

David furrowed his brows, he didn’t think that that was strictly true, but it was kind of adorable that she genuinely believed that. “Okay, sure kiddo, now who goes faster Mario or Luigi?”

 

* * *

 

About two hours later they pulled into a parking space in the lot. Emma had been nearly completely distracted by the game, especially near the end of their journey, so when they stopped she was surprised and her head shot up to look out of the window. “We’re at a mall?” She asked surprised.

Snow turned back to look at Emma with a smile on her face. “We need things for the loft, and we all need new clothes, that includes you.”

Emma’s mouth open and clothes a couple of times in shock. “But… Stores are expensive, and you guys all need new things, I’m okay, I have enough.” She blurted.

Snow sighed quietly. “Emma, you have three outfits, two of which are several years old and are getting so worn they have holes in them. And I know that because I bought you one of those outfits, when you first came to town, despite all of your protests at the time.”

“I steal daddy’s shirts too.” Her voice was quiet, so much so that she felt David take and gently squeeze her hand, and Ruby sent her a slightly pitying look.

“Emma, sweetie, this isn’t your fault. But you need new things, you just have to let us treat you, you’re our child and this is just something that parents do.”

“We want to be able to treat you.” David said insistently. “It’s not even treating you, having things isn’t a treat kiddo, it’s just something which you should already have.”

Ruby was nodding her head fervently. “Mommy and daddy are right, pup.” She could see tears shinning in Emma’s eyes before she looked down and she felt the need to try and set a somewhat happier tone. “Plus we’re royalty, our money came over with us to this realm, we’re kinda rich.”

“That’s true, plus twenty years of interest on that money means that you defiantly do not need to worry about money, you’re the child we’re the parents, stop worrying and let us spoil you.” Snow said agreeing with her spouses.

“Okay.” Her voice was still quiet but she had a small smile  on her face at her parents pep talk. She would have complained about it being cheesy if it hadn’t actually made her feel a thousand times better.

“Now, come on,” Snow said lovingly but with a hint of her usual organisation, “I made a list.”

“Of course you do.” David deadpanned before smirking at his wife.

And like that the atmosphere was immediately lifted.

* * *

 

David wrapped his arm around Emma’s shoulders as they walked in, Ruby and Snow were holding hands on the other side of Emma, David smiled over Emma’s head at his wives’ reactions to seeing all of the stores, he could tell it was going to be an expensive day but as they had told Emma, they could afford it. He glanced down at Emma and could tell that she was feeling just as lost as he was. He pulled her closer to her and kissed the top of her head. “You still on my team?” He asked her.

Emma lost the lost look from her face and grinned up at him. “Uh huh… Does that mean you’ll stop _them_ ,” her eyes flickered to Ruby and Snow who were watching David and Emma with amusement, “from making me try on a million things of clothes?”

David chuckled, and looked over at his wives with a pride he couldn’t control, before looking down at his daughter. “Of course I will kiddo, we’ll go look at the fun things while they’re getting clothes, you need some new clothes but we won’t go out of control today, okay?”

Emma tilted her head to the side for a second as she debated it. “Okay, I guess… as long as you get me a milkshake.”

David grinned but changed it to a playful serious look. “How about a nice healthy smoothie? A kale one?”

Emma’s creased her brow as she looked up at him, her bottom lip out, and her eyes big. “Daddy.” She whined dragging his name out. She suddenly stopped and looked around to see if anyone had heard it, but the mall was practically empty, a few shoppers but it was a weekday so most people were at work or school. What she didn’t realise was that pretty much everyone who didn’t know her age assumed that she was much younger than she was, still a kid, even when she was trying her best to act mature. Snow, David, and Ruby had put it down to three possible things: Emma being born premature affecting her height, Emma being neglected and abused affecting both her growth and her behaviour now, and lastly the curse had affected how she aged slightly.

David reach back to where she had stopped and pulled her in front of him, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his head on the top her head. “Aw poor baby.” He teased lovingly. “Okay, the biggest most unhealthy chocolatey milkshake we can find, I promise.”

Emma looked over at her mom, she knew that Snow was always trying to get her to eat healthy, and Ruby was only slightly more lenient.

Snow paused searching through her purse for her cell to smile at Emma. “Today’s a day where you can have the most unhealthy things if you want, _or healthy_ if you want,” she let out a breath of laughter when she saw Emma looking disgusted at the mere thought she looked at David as she spoke to Emma, “but if you’re awake all night because of a sugar rush from a milkshake your daddy is going to be the one who stays up with you.”

“I don’t need him to stay up with me.” Emma was grinning as she whined, but she was already feeling less self-conscious, her parents always managed to do this.

Ruby ignored her. “Yeah, or we’ll wake up to a destroyed home and a small fire… _again_.”

“That was only one time!... Well… twice… but it was an accident.”

David ignored her too and just kept his eyes on Snow. “Deal.” He ducked his head, keeping a hold on Emma, he gently kissed Snow before straightening up.

“Or we can all ignore Emma.” Emma mumbled.

Snow placed her hand on Emma’s cheek, with a smile on her own face, she looked at her husband then her wife. “I linked our calendars on phones for the list, it has on the stores to go to in what order, just in case any of us are in different stores and need to find each other.”

Emma looked down at her own phone (which she had swiped from somebody’s pocket when she had run away when she was 12) as her parents took out theirs, the curse had kept all of their phone up to date to the year. Emma’s was so old that it was practically brick shaped, there were a few buttons missing and the screen was cracked making the colour faded a little in one area of the screen. There was tape wrapped around it making sure that the back wouldn’t fall off.

Ruby looked away from her list, to where Emma was staring at her own phone, they all knew that Emma was way past due an upgrade and they were planning on rectifying that today too. She reached out and squeezed Emma’s hand. “Stay with one of us today, okay? This is a big place, we don’t want you getting lost.”

Emma was about to protest that it wasn’t the largest mall she had ever been in but she felt a twinge of anxiety at the thought of going missing or even just being separated from her parents. She nodded her head. “Okay mama.”

Ruby smiled at her, happy that Emma wasn’t trying to go against what they were asking of her, and she didn’t seem like she was going to do a disappearing act. “Good girl, pup.” She grinned watching David keep his arm around Emma, protectively close, Emma clearly didn’t mind him being like that, and there was something hot about his protective dad side. “Okay, it says clothes first… whoa! This is a _big_ list.”

“You did say that you didn’t want to wear your cursed clothes.” Emma stood on her tiptoes to be able to see David’s phone.

David held it above her head to mess with her. “Oh no kiddo, your mama’s list is a whole lot shorter, much like her cursed clothes.” He let out a breath of laughter, making Snow laugh, and Ruby playfully hit David’s chest. “Sorry babe. The big list is yours.”

“What!” Emma’s head shot towards her mothers but she couldn’t see Snow past Ruby. “Mommy.” she dragged her name out.

“You need clothes Emma.” Snow told her firmly. “And I know that you’re going to put off or manage to charm your way out of doing a clothes shop next time we come here.”

Emma frowned confused. “We’re… gonna… we’re gonna do this again?” She asked slowly. All her parents turned their eyes to her with concerned frowns on their faces.

“Emma.” Snow said softly. “Em, of course we’re going to do this again. We’re a family now, finally, we’re going to doing things like this a lot. Daddy, mama, are still going to work, but we’ll have days like this as much as often as possible. We’ll go to museums, shopping, the zoo, and have quieter days in the town, or we can just relax at home.”

Emma smiled as though she couldn’t quite believe it. She had never had anything like this. It was so new it felt fragile, despite all of Snow’s sturdy and promising words, she was terrified it was all going to go away. It was going to take time for her to realise her parents weren’t leaving. “Okay….” She said quietly before talking louder and more surely. “… Okay, we can get some clothes.”

Ruby smiled. “Okay, come on then pup, let’s get started.” They walked past a few stores, build-a-bear and some home wear stores, the items in different windows caught their eyes.

 

* * *

 

They sorted Emma out first, a full wardrobe; coats, jackets, shirts, tops, jeans, leggings, sweaters, underwear, sweats, with each item passed to her to try on her frustration grew and grew, not just because it was clothes she was trying on, but because of the size of the clothes. The couple of outfit she had owned before coming to town were kid sizes, the ones Mary Margaret had bought her had been in petite adults sizes and had been big on her, even after Snow offered to hem them for her. They had found that the clothes which had fit Emma best had come from the juniors section, and it wasn’t even the larger sizes, and was the source of her frustration.

The only thing that she didn’t actually mind about, and was only just containing her enthusiasm over, were all the pyjamas they found her. It was not secret, in their household, that Emma was most comfortable in her pyjamas. She wore them whenever she could and protested having to change out of them to go out somewhere. They found her five pairs.

David chose his stuff, mainly the same style that he wore during the curse, though some more trendy looking jackets and smart shirts. By the time Emma and David were both sorted Emma was clearly becoming restless, David shared a look with his wives before checking his own list, he smiled when he saw what was on his list next. He took all of the bags containing his and Emma’s clothes from his wives and left them to try on their own clothes and things they had on their lists.

“Where are we going?” Emma asked as she was shepherded out of the store they were currently in, she was carry far less bags than David who was insisting on carry most of them, she walked backwards as she fixed her father with a puppy-dog look.

“That’s not going to work, kiddo, we’re going to put these in the car we just need to make two pit stops.”

 

* * *

 

The first stop was to a phone store, Emma frowned as she hadn’t expected that to be one of their pit stops, but she assumed that her father was looking to upgrade his phone. She started to look at the iPhones, as her father followed suit, she kept glancing at her father to make sure that he was still in the store but was otherwise distracted until she suddenly heard her dad’s voice beside her.

“So, this is the one, is it?”

Emma tilted her head to the side as she looked at her father. “What d’you mean?”

David chuckled. “Mommy, mama, and I all have phones, who did you think we were looking for one for?”

“But I… I …” She looked from the phone to her father and back again. “They’re expensive.”

“Em, were you listening to what we told you earlier that we have money, or do we have to have that conversation again?” He asked her gently, he watched her turn a little sheepish, but he knew that it would take her a while to get used to them spoiling her. “Anyway this isn’t even the most expensive one, your mothers and I all have more up to date phones, there will be a few conditions to you getting this though.”

“Okay, anything!” Emma agreed straight away making her father chuckle again.

“You have to keep us updated where you are if you’re not with us.”

“Okay… Wait, I’m always with you guys.”

“Just in case you’re ever not, the town can be dangerous, and we worry. So you keep it with you and charged up. There’s another condition, you have to keep a case and screen protector on it, you’re a little clumsy so you have to be careful with this and the-…” He trailed off not wanting to ruin the surprise. “Deal?”

Emma looked down at the phone in wonder before looking back up at her father with a big smile on her face. “Deal, I promise I’ll take care of it, thank you daddy!”

David pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank your moms too. Now which colour?”

“Silver. Mommy’s is pink, yours is black, and mama’s is gold.”

“Ah, so you’re too cool to be like your parents, I get it.” He pretended to be hurt but made sure to be dramatic enough for Emma to realise that he was just joking.

* * *

  
They were in luck as the phone came with a bundle, a case, screen protector, headphones, and spare cable were all included. David quickly signed her up to the family plan, with the help of the store worker, he put the boxes with stuff in the bags but placed the screen protector and case on the phone and handed it to Emma. Emma slipped it into her pocket, it didn’t feel real having something which was brand new, all to herself.

“Where to now?” Emma asked as they walked out of the store.

David smiled down at her. “Well, your moms and I need a laptop for our works, and we thought that we’d buy you one too.”

“Wait, _seriously_?” She had thought that the phone had been the big treat. “Honestly dad, I don’t need a new one, I still have one-“

“One which is held together with so much tape it’s a miracle you can see part of the screen.” David pointed out. He stopped so that Emma would too. He looked at her seriously. “Em, I know that you’re not used to being spoiled, but all these things are thing which most people your age have. Maybe you getting all of these is one go _is_ us spoiling you, but that doesn’t mean that you’re spoilt, it just means that we love you and that you should already have this stuff. I know that before the curse broke your mommy was trying to get you to get your GED-.”

“-Daddy,-” Panic filled her.

“-Emmy.” He said gently quieting her. “Em, your mommy figured out why you don’t like school so much, and why you found it difficult.”

“I… You’ve got it wrong.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Em, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He wished he wasn’t carrying so many bags so that he could just hug her. “You have dyslexia, right?” Her head moved a tiny bit, just enough to confirm what he and his wives had suspected. “It’s okay Emma, we just need to know these things, you _need_ to tell us things like this so that we can help you. We’re going to support you with this, a new laptop will be able to help you with that there’s loads of apps you can load on there, we’re going to get you it anyway but it might be handy to work towards getting a GED.”   
He knew that there wasn’t really much that Emma would need a GED for in Storybrooke, but it would give her something to do and work towards, and it might give her some self-confidence- she was clearly a smart kid but she had been let down by the education system which didn’t aspire her to do more and didn’t support her.

Emma paused, looking into her father’s sea blue eyes, she could tell how serious he was about everything that he was telling her. “… I’ll try, I promise…. But if I suck…-“

“You won’t suck, just try your best, that’s all we ask.”

* * *

 

It took them a little while to sort out the two new laptops at the Apple store, and David had to tell Emma that she had to wait to go on it until they got home a few times though he didn’t really mind as she was clearly excited about it, when they placed the bags in the trunk they found Snow and Ruby had already left plenty of bags in there. David grinned spotting the box which he had asked his wives to pick of for him while they were picking up their own present for Emma. He quickly made sure that they box was hidden by some of Emma’s clothes before leading Emma back inside the mall.

“Where are mommy and mama.” Emma frowned looking around as they walked.

David chuckled. “Em, look in front of you.”

Emma looked forward and saw her mothers sat at a table, she rushed over and slid into the seat beside Snow, trying to refrain her beaming smile. “Hey mama, hey mommy, what have you two been up to?”

Ruby chuckled, as Snow wrapped her arm around Emma pulling her into a side hug, she smiled lovingly at her daughter as her husband dropped into the seat beside her. “We missed you too, pup.”

“I didn’t say that.” Emma mumbled, turning a little pink, even pinker when her parents all laughed.

“Yeah but you meant it.” Snow teased, sharing a smile with her wife and husband, she pulled Emma closer to her side.

“You two decided on lunch?”

“We’re thinking Chinese, Panda Express, what do you two think?”

“I love Chinese.”

“Sounds good to me too.” David agreed. “I’m presuming that you both have already figured out what to get, my loves?”

Snow rolled her eyes at how well David knew her and Ruby. She smiled at him lovingly, she could tell that he was wanting to give Emma a special moment with her and Ruby, for them to give her her present. “Thanks babe.”

David pecked Ruby’s lips as she passed him the list before he stood up. He leant down to kiss Snow, then tussled Emma’s hair. “Dr pepper, kiddo?”

Emma grinned and nodded. “And orange chicken?” She called after him.

“It’s alright on the list, pup, mommy and I know what you like.”

“Thank you.” Emma said. She paused for a half second. “Thanks for the phone too… and the MacBook… I think that I might, I might try the whole school thing again… if you, could you guys maybe help?”

Ruby and Snow listened to Emma’s stammering with pride, they knew she was becoming more comfortable with them, she trusted them enough to know that she was able to ask them a question. “Of course we will, mommy already knows a lot, but daddy and I will learn as much as we can. We love you, we’ll support you with whatever you want to do,” she reached across the table and squeezed her hand, “right Frosty?”

“Why’d you call her that all the time?” Suddenly she felt Snow gently covering her ears.

“Nope, don’t tell her.”

Ruby grinned mischievously at her wife’s embarrassment. “I’ll tell you later, pup, it’s the story of how me and mommy met.”

Emma smiled slowly, she had always meant to read the storybook, but had just never gotten around to it. “Okay mama.”

Ruby smiled back at her, she felt pride every time she heard the word ‘mama’, she shared a look with Snow and took a deep breath they were taking a chance which might make her put her walls up again. “So, mommy and I got you a special present.” She reached under the table, her fingers brushed the cardboard box underneath.

“When I was pregnant with mama and I went to a nearby town, your daddy had already found you a dragon teddy but we wanted to find you something special, we managed to find you a special teddy. We’ve searched in the town but we haven’t been able to find it yet… we thought….”

Ruby pulled up the build a bear box and put it on the table. “ _We thought_ ,” she said picking up where Snow had left off, “that we could get you a new one.”

Emma had to stand up to be able to open the box, and when she did she pulled out a beautifully soft brown teddy bear, his fur curled slightly, and the eyes had a curl of green around the black. Emma sat back down as she stared at it, her hands stayed in place but her thumb started to rub the fur, she had never in her entire life been given a brand new teddy bear. She looked up from the toy and realised that there were a few other families and people in the food court, her cheeks turned pink and she pulled the teddy down from the table and closer to her.  
“I’m… I’m not a little kid…” She kept glancing around fearing someone would see it.

Ruby and Snow tried not to sigh, they knew that Emma put up the walls like this to protect herself, she had probably had to push away all things like this in case other kids or adults had seen it as a sign of weakness. But that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt a little when she tried to distance herself from how she really wanted to act.  
“We can take it back, if you like, we’ll do it after lunch.” Snow went to reach for the box.

“No!”

Ruby and Snow’s brows shot up at Emma’s quick and sharp tone. “Emma?” Ruby asked her gently but in a way that made it clear she needed to talk.  “Do you want to keep the bear?”

Emma bit her lip as she looked down at the bear, she looked up when she felt Ruby squeeze her hand across the table, she saw her mama’s supportive smile and she sighed. “Yeah.” She said softly.

“Pup, it’s okay,” she told her softly, “it’s okay to want to keep the teddy.”

Snow kissed her temple. “We know it’s hard, but we need you to remember to try and remember that you can trust us, it’s okay to let us in. We won’t let anything happen or anyone say or do anything to upset you, okay?”

“I…” She was about to protest that it was all okay, or that they couldn’t promise that, or that she wasn’t a kid, but instead she sighed. “…I trust you.”

“Good.”

Emma looked up and saw her father stood next to their table with a tray full of food.

David shared a silent conversation with Ruby as Snow helped Emma move the teddy back into the box. He grinned back at Emma and placed the tray on the table as Snow placed the box onto the floor. “You can show me your teddy,” he shrugged his jacket off before sitting down, “and your mommy and mama your new phone after we’ve eaten.”

Emma grinned at him then at her moms. “Sounds good.”

“Good. So, we have a Dr Pepper for Em, iced tea for Rubes and Snow, and my drink.”

Emma started to drink her soft drink straight away.

“Honey, you should have told me you were thirsty, I have a couple of drinks in my bag.”

“I didn’t think that you would.” She frowned it was the last thing she had even thought about.

“Mom powers.” Ruby smirked giving out the plates to them all as David opened the boxes.

“How come you don’t have a bag then?” Emma smirked.

“I packed the bag.” She countered with the same smirk her daughter had got from her.

“There’s orange chicken, eight treasure chicken, and teriyaki chicken.” David said he could practically feel his stomach growling at the smell of the food. “And chow mein and fried rice to go with it… Not forgetting, fortune cookies.”

“Oooh yeah!”

Snow snatched up the cookies before Emma could grab them. “After _proper_ food, Emma.” She chided gently. “Now, what are you having?”

* * *

 

 

The rest of the day was spent around the mall, buying things for their home: blankets, comforters, duvet covers, cushions for their bedrooms. They found kitchen stuff and more towels, some rugs, and photo frames which Emma was certain several of the pictures they took that day. They bought shoes, and make up, they wandered into the Lush store and almost bought some of everything even David and Emma seemed to like half of the bath bombs, soaps, and things of the like. Snow and Ruby even caught them playing with the Fun and bought some of it up to put aside to make up some of Emma’s Christmas presents.

That evening they were pretty much finished when Snow grinned at her phone, luckily Emma was too distracted by her pretzel and hot chocolate to realise, but Snow shared a look with her spouses over their coffees to tell them that everything was finished.

“What else do we have left to do?” Emma asked looking around. She hadn’t realised how much fun she was going to have that day of shopping with her parents, but she had loved it, and wasn’t sure she was ready for it to be over but at the same time she was pretty worn out and ready to go home.

“We have a couple more things before we head home.” Snow told her with a warm smile, she knew exactly how Emma was feeling, she’d probably fall asleep on the drive home.

“One of those things is us all taking photos in that photo booth.” Emma looked where her mom was pointing then back at her and beamed. “Okay! I love those, we need a strip each, so we have to do it four times.”

David, Snow, and Ruby all laughed at her enthusiasm.

When in the booth they all had fun pulling faces, grinning and cuddling, Emma’s parents kissed each other in some, or kissed Emma’s head in others. She was beaming down at her strip of photos as she let her parents lead her along, in and out of a few more stores.

“Let’s put that in my purse, honey, then you can go on that.” Snow gently tugged the strip of photos from her hand and indicated towards the carousel that Emma had kept eyeing throughout their shopping trip.

“Are you all coming on it too?”

Her parents were surprised that she didn’t protest that she didn’t want to go on it, perhaps they had gotten through to her more than they had thought, they grinned at each other.

“You two go with the kid,” David insisted, “I’ll stay with the bags and take pictures of you guys.”

“Are you sure.” Snow squeezed his arm gently and comfortingly, she didn’t want him to miss out on this, she spared a look at her wife and could tell she felt the same.

“I’m sure.” He smiled at them warmly. “Once you’re all done on there… I believe I owe my little girl a milkshake?”

Emma quickly hugged David.

He was surprised, he had more expected to be hit by her for calling her ‘little girl’, and let out a small “Oof.” But he wrapped his arms around his daughter. “Have fun with mommy and mama, okay kiddo? I’ll take lots of pictures.”

And he did, he took as many as he could, and set one of his three girls as his screensaver making him beam with pride when he looked at it. He couldn’t believe that he was that lucky, to have two amazing wives who he loved with every fibre of his being, and to have a breath taking daughter who he loved even more than the entire universe.

* * *

 

Once Emma, Snow, and Ruby were done on the carousel David took Emma and most of  shopping bags to get a milkshake, filled with as much chocolate as they could manage. He watched her curiously. “Have you had a good day?”

Emma looked at him. She smiled and leant against him, cuddling into his side, as they waited to be met by Ruby and Snow. “Yeah. It’s been… it’s been one of the best days ever.”

He kissed the top of her golden curls. “I’m glad that you’ve had a good day, I have too, so have mommy and mama.” He kissed her again. “Wait, _one_ of the best days?”

“You can only have one best day.” She informed him slurping her milkshake.

“That’s not true, I have two best days.”

“The day you married mama and mommy?” She guessed.

David chuckled. “That’s one of my best days but it’s number three.” He saw her face, and knew it was her mischievous one, she was probably about to tease him about telling her mothers. “And your mommy and mama agree with me. My two best days are the day that you were born and the day that the curse broke and we found you again.”

Emma chewed her lip, but that didn’t stop her eyes from watering too, when she spoke her voice broke. “Finding you all, the curse breaking, mommy coming out of the coma, mama remembering, you remembering and not leaving town… it’s my best day. I didn’t have too many others until today. Today’s number two now.”

David probably should have been proud that she had had such an amazing day with them, and that their reunion was number one, but he just felt incredibly sad that she didn’t have many others to match a day of spending time together shopping. “We’ll have to rectify that. We’ll add many more amazing days, I promise.”

“Hey guys.” Ruby greeted as she and Snow walked over to the pair, in her hands was a drinks holder and a bag from the cookie store. “I have coffee for daddy, tea for me and mommy, and cookies and brownies for pup to give to Granny.” She ignored her husband and wife’s rolling eyes

“But Granny makes the best brownies and cookies in Storybrooke.”

“She does,” Ruby agreed with a wicked grin, “so I’m sure that she’ll be overjoyed to get a present from our trip.”

“You’re just too chicken to give them to Granny yourself.” Snow baited.

“Of course I am.” Ruby admitted but her grin didn’t vanish. “That’s why I’m bribing pup.”

“With what?” Emma asked, wanting to know if it’d be worth pissing off Granny.

“Mommy and I got some cookies and brownies for home and I can put them on high shelves.” She held up the bag indicating several boxes inside one of which was for them, “Plus we’re going to stop at a fast food place for dinner on the way home, if you pinkie promise, I’ll get you ice cream.”

“Ruby-”

“Deal!”

Snow rolled her eyes good naturedly while David just chuckled.

“Wow, I didn’t even need to bribe you with the candy I bought you.”

“You got me candy?”

“Of course! I’m the fun mom after all.”

“You are… but I’m still the official fun parent.”

“That’s cause you’re just a big kid.” Ruby playfully shoved him, and he did the same back, they both made sure that Emma was barely jostled.

“You guys ready to go home?” Snow asked seeing Emma’s exhausted face as she drank her milkshake, she sure that she and her spouses had all of their bags.

David leant down to kiss his wife. “Always.”

Ruby did the same. “Let’s go home.”

“You guys are gross, you know that right?”

* * *

  
Their drive home was quiet. Snow sat in the back beside Emma as David drove until they got to the fast food place, as they ate Emma had to force her eyes to stay open, and when Ruby slid into the back beside her Emma rested her head against her and fell asleep before they were even out of the parking lot.

A little over an hour later David pulled into the usual spot beside his truck and Ruby’s red Camaro, he looked in the mirror to see Emma still asleep cuddled into Ruby’s side, then he looked back up at the loft. “It doesn’t look any different.” He kept his voice quiet so that Emma wouldn’t wake.

“Regina said that it wouldn’t, we won’t be able to tell until we’re upstairs, in the bedroom.” Snow looked at her husband, then her wife, then her sleeping child. Her voice got quieter and softer. “What if we’ve not done the right thing, what if it no longer feels like her home, or like too much is changing too quickly? Maybe we should have told her.”

“Snow,” Ruby kept her voice just as quiet as her spouses had and stroked Emma’s hair to keep her peacefully asleep, “I’m sure it’ll be an adjustment for her but she’ll understand why. She’ll love it.”

“This is the best way to go about this, this is home, _her first home.”_ David added. “But it’s not big enough for all of us, that’s three adults and an Emma in a loft for two people at most, this way we don’t have to move out.”

Snow bit her lip but nodded her head. “I guess we’ll see.” She sighed gently. “Do we wake her up or carry her?”

David and Ruby shared a look, debating it between them, they were the two who could carry Emma up all of those stairs after all. “Why don’t we wake her up, she should be more awake for this, you could lead her up and Rubes and I will grab the bags.”

“Are you two sure, I could take some up, I’m pretty strong too.”

“We know you are Frosty.” Ruby assured her. “But looking at Sleepy over here you’re going to have to help her up the stairs anyway, and you have your purse, and I don’t think Em’s going to let go of that build a bear box.” She grinned looking down at the car floor where the box was nestled between Emma’s feet, she had refused to let them put it in the trunk, she nudged Emma and gently started to call to her. “Pup.”

Emma groaned and turned her head so it was hidden against Ruby’s arm.

“Come on Emmy, wakey wakey time.” Ruby called echoing the words David had called to wake Emma up earlier that morning.


	6. Home Improvements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her parents surprise leads to Emma feeling some unwanted yet familiar feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The originally started as just pure fluff but then evolved to become a little angsty....

Emma let her mother lead her up the stairs, she gripped tightly onto the build a bear box even as they sat on the couch, her eyes were heavy and she leant against her mom as she watched her mother and father bringing up all of the bags full of their shopping. With them all placed on the floor between the stairs and the closed curtains of what used to be her parents’ bedroom, but what she now assumed was hers, she realised just how much they had bought. She was staring in awe at the bags when she felt her mommy brushing her hand through her hair and watched her mama and daddy walk closer to them.

Ruby smiled warmly at her. “Honey we have one last surprise for you.” She watched Snow help Emma stand before she followed David up the stairs.

“What… What happened?” Emma’s voice was full of confusion. Usually the bedroom up there was just open plan, but now up the stairs was a corridor, with two doors across from each other. “I don’t understand.”

David looked down at Emma with a kind smile. “We know that the loft is a small place, and it’s hard to have privacy if the bedroom is separated from the kitchen by just a curtain, so we decided that you needed a proper bedroom. We bought the loft when the curse broke, and we asked Regina and Gold to magically enlarge up here and create rooms, Marco, August, and your uncles have been working up here building them. I helped them out a few times but that’s why we’ve been keeping you so busy over the past couple of weeks.”

“How about we show you our room first?” Ruby offered watching Emma process the news that she now had a bedroom.

Snow opened the door on the left. Leading her family inside.

The first thing noticeable was the giant bed, easily big enough for five adults, there were five pillows on the made bed and Emma was sure that all of the cushions from the store would soon join them. There were bedside tables next to the ends, and shelves running above it, at the other end was a very comfortable looking bench at the end of it. The bench opened up and inside they were going to put spare blankets and comforters. To the side of the bed was a couch and a rocking chair in the same style as the couch. The room was clearly even bigger than it had seemed to be on the outside.

“Woah,” Emma said looking wide eyed at the luxurious looking bedroom, “this is amazing.”

Ruby, Snow, and David smiled in agreement, they had seen it as it was being done, but it was amazing to see the final result. They still had a few more things to do, finishing touches like rugs, photos, cushions, and to move some of their many books and blu-rays into the room.

“This is my favourite bit.” David told her, he turned his daughter around, to see the big flat screen opposite the bed.

Emma grinned for the first time. Like father like daughter. “That’s really cool.”

Ruby and Snow shared a look, and both rolled their eyes, but they smiled at how alike Emma and David were.

“There’s more to it than this.” Snow led her towards the two doors next to the couch . “This is _my_ favourite part.” She opened the door to reveal a walk in wardrobe, with mirrored doors, two dressing tables opposite each other, and a bench in the centre. She knew that it wasn’t really Emma’s thing but she seemed to be in awe of it regardless.

“Two guesses over who is going to take over most of the wardrobe.” David mumbled jokingly.

Emma covered her mouth to hide her laughter, her parents had bought quite a lot of new clothes between them, but Snow had definitely managed to amount the most.

Snow playfully elbowed him in the ribs but enthusiastically kissed him back when he leant down to kiss her. Their room had been looking amazing but the finishing last touches like the mirrors which were hung in the wardrobe while they were at the mall really made it feel like home, it made her think of a modern version of what they had had in the Enchanted Forest. With the things they had bought that day it would feel completely like home.

“Well, you’re both wrong,” Ruby said definitively, “the best part is this.” She wrapped her arm around Emma’s shoulder and led her out of the closet, she opened the door which was next to the one for the wardrobe.

“Woah, this is pretty cool.” Emma admitted looking at the en-suite bathroom, the floors and walls were tiled with large tiles.  There was a large shower and a bigger bath than Emma had ever seen. She smiled seeing the three sinks with a large mirror above it, she had seen for herself her parents having to fight over the sink downstairs herself and knew that they definitely needed three. “I love the tub.” She told them.

Ruby kissed the top of her blonde curls. “Me too. We’re going to be doing up the downstairs, not by too much, but we’re going to be updating the bathroom, the tub won’t be quite this big but it’ll be bigger than the one downstairs now, and you can use this one whenever you want.” She promised.

They poked around the room for a little while, Emma mostly listened to her parents telling her about the different features in the bathroom, wardrobe, and bedroom. But eventually David walked back over to Emma, smiling down at her, and kissed her temple. “You ready to see your room, kid?”

Emma shrugged, trying to hide how overwhelmed she was starting to feel, she grinned up at her father and nodded. “Sure, lead the way.”

 

* * *

  

This time they let Emma open the door.

Like her parents’ room it was painted white and there were skylights in the roof, through which stars shone clearly above, there were electric blinds the same colour as the walls above the skylights. Straight across from the door she had entered was another door, to her right was a fitted wardrobe with sliding white glass doors.   
Emma realised that she was still holding onto the box with her bear inside. She carefully placed it on the empty desk and took some steps into the room. There was a magnetic glass board, the same colour as the wardrobe doors and the headboard of the , and a whole load of shelves above the desk. She let her hand skim the swivel chair behind the desk as she walked towards the glass hanging egg chair with curved cushions inside . She reached out tentatively as though touching it would shatter It or shatter the illusion of a room she had dreamed of since the time she was living on the streets.

“We thought that you could put some of the cushions you chose today on there, to make it even more comfortable, but it should be comfy enough even without them.” Ruby watched Emma still look like she was scared to touch it, so Ruby closed the gap between her and her spouses and their daughter, she placed her hand on her back and rubbed a circle onto it. “It won’t break or fall, pup, Marco put it in and Regina made sure it was stable.”

She touched the hanging chair and watched it swing slightly. Emma spoke for the first time. “This is… this is amazing… It’s all for me?” She looked at the stripped double bed then over at Snow and David, feeling Ruby gently pull her into her side.

“Who else would it be for?” David asked her, he knew that it was a pretty amazing room and would look even better with the new stuff they had bought that day, along with photos they had taken since Emma had come to town, Emma was acting as though they had given her the philosopher’s stone or the fountain of youth. “We wanted you to have your own space, if you don’t like how it looks we can redecorate however you like, all of this is yours.”

Emma watched him open the door opposite the one they had walked in. She followed his lead and walked through the door, inside was a en-suite, much smaller than her parents’ one but it looked modern with a bath/shower combo, toilet, a sink with a mirror like her parents’ so she knew that is she waved her hand under a certain part the lights would turn on. The tiles around the shower were cerulean blue, she realised that it was match the bathroom mat her mama had shown her in a store and Emma had agreed looked awesome. There was a metal holder for a toothbrush holder, and even a charging port for a toothbrush. “This is… This is it’s amazing. It’s perfect. I- I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, baby, other than if you like it or not.” Snow replied nervously.

Emma looked back at her mom. She grinned and closed the distance, hugging her tight, hugging tighter when she felt her mom responding. “Thank you.” She mumbled. She felt Ruby and David joining in their hug in the middle of her new room. “I love it so much.”

“Good, we’re glad.” Snow kissed the top of her head. They stood like that for a while until Snow kissed her head again. “It’s late, baby, we should sort out your bed now so you can get some sleep.”  She hinted. She watched Emma gently move away from her and David and Ruby start to head out of the room.

Emma frowned watched “Where are you-”

David smiled warmly at her. “I’m going to grab your duvet and pillows.” He assured her. “And mama’s going to grab your sheets to go on your bed.”

Snow wrapped her arm around Emma and led her out of the room following Ruby and David. “Come on hun, let’s get you a pair of pyjamas, you can change into them and brush your teeth.”

 

* * *

 

Emma allowed herself to be shepherded down the stairs, her mom grabbed a pair of her new pyjamas, she changed into them in the downstairs bathroom, smiling at how comfortable they were. Once she had brushed her teeth she came out to see her mom making tea for all the other adults, David was finishing putting a duvet cover on the new duvet, and Ruby was putting the last pillow case on the pillow. She suddenly felt her stomach turn, she had to force herself to keep her breathing steady, cold slithered down her spine as she fought memories in her mind. She forced a smile trying her best not to feel or look like a little kid. She walked over to her parents. “Can we watch How to Train your Dragon again?” She asked hopefully, staring mainly at David, knowing he was the most likely to crack.

David chuckled but shook his head. “Sorry, kiddo, it’s getting late. How about we watch it tomorrow? We have a new couch and a couple of other things coming tomorrow, and we’re going to be putting all of our clothes and sorting out our rooms, but after that we could have a movie day?” David offered. He could see her trying not to look sad, but he could tell how tired she was, he shared a look with Ruby then smiled at Emma. “I was going to wait to give this to you, until the next time that we were watching the movie, but I think you could do with it now.” He reached down and grabbed the build a bear box from the mountain of bags and boxes.

“Mommy and Mama already gave me my bear.” She told him, she had thought that she had left it upstairs, but she must not have.

“That’s not the bear, kiddo,” he gave her a charming smile, “it’s something else just from me.”

Emma was distracted from her anxiety as she opened the box, her fingers brushed the black soft fur as she pulled it out, at first she thought that it was another teddy bear, but soon she came face to face with her very own Toothless complete with its very own red tail prosthetic. She gasped. She hugged it tight to her chest. She nuzzled her face against it and smelt the faint scent of vanilla, she hugged it tighter, the vanilla reminded her of the candles they had around, the ones that David would light whenever she had a nightmare. She looked at David trying to hide  how excited she was but she wasn’t doing a very good job as she grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you Daddy.”

“No problem kiddo. I know you want a real Toothless, but I don’t think that there is a real one in Storybrooke, I figured this one could be a pretty good substitute.”

“If a real one comes to town can we keep it?” Emma asked excitedly.

“No dragons in my house!” Snow called over straight away, though she liked how excited she sounded.

“Agreed!” Ruby said giving him a look.

David winked at Emma making her grin again, he thought that making Emma smile was worth facing his wives’ wrath, though it might be best if Toothless didn’t turn up in the town for all their sakes  (but mostly his).  He looked down at her seeing heavy eyes. “I think it’s bedtime kiddo.”

“Daddy.” ­

David smiled softly at her whine but he shook his head sympathetically. “You were up early and we’ve been on the go all day, you look exhausted, and you have a nice new comfy bed to sleep in.” He encouraged.

Emma felt her stomach flittering as she let them lead her up to her new room. She settled into her bed, David was right it was extremely comfortable, David tucked the duvet around her, Ruby made sure that Emma had the two teddy bears, and Snow passed her her baby blanket. They took turns kissing her forehead or cheeks. Ruby flicked one of the switches on the bedside light switch and the blinds covered the skylights.

“We’ll see you in the morning, pup.” Ruby said kissing her forehead again.

“I’ll make pancakes for breakfast, okay?”

“Thanks daddy.”

Snow made sure that Emma really did have everything, she smiled seeing Emma clutching tight to the blanket and the teddies, she was clearly attached to the build a bears already. “Sweet dreams, baby.” She brushed her hair back before kissing her cheek.

 

* * *

 

By all accounts Emma should be able to sleep, the new bed was like lying on a cloud, the room was the perfect temperature not too hot or cold, and as David had pointed out she was exhausted by the busy day. But she just couldn’t. At first she thought that it was because it was too dark, she turned the main light on but it was too bright, so she turned it off, she got up and went into her bathroom, she waved her hand under the mirror and it lit up, she left the bathroom door open and got back into bed. It was lighter but she still couldn’t sleep. She cuddled her teddies closer to her, the anxious feeling in her stomach was growing, the feeling that she wanted her parents. She was used to being in the same bed as them at night, being cuddled, feeling safe, she hadn’t realised that before- how safe and homely it felt. She remembered her parents saying that they were having rooms with actual walls to give them all privacy, she couldn’t go wiggling into bed between her parents now, it wasn’t fair to them.   
“Don’t be so fucking stupid.” She mumbled to herself kicking the duvet she was under. It was only a few short months ago that she would barely let anyone even hug her, she didn’t need her mommies and daddy now. She wasn’t three. 

She tried for another hour but she just couldn’t sleep. The empty and dark bedroom reminded her of a luxury version of many of the bedrooms she stayed in in different foster homes. She was sure it would be more homely with her stuff in it, but right now she was anxious, if she stayed in there for another hour she’d end up running into her parents room like a little kid before long. So she climbed out of bed, she could handle this herself, she grabbed her teddies and blanket and crept out of her room and down the stairs.

She went to her parents old bedroom but when she pulled the back the curtain the bed was already gone ready for the couch to be put in, the entire room was completely empty, even the curtains were gone. The space was bigger than Emma had realised but the exposed brick walls had been restored so that they no longer looked crumbling, and were all painted a warm shade of white. It was weird seeing it so empty but Emma had to admit it looked good. She abandoned her first plan and went to the lounge, she settled down on the couch, curled up in fetal position as she pulled the throw from the back of the couch and over her and her teddies and blanket. She still felt alone, she was used to hearing her parents gentle breathing as they slept, so she flicked the television on low and before long she fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

Snow woke up earlier than she had expected to, she and her spouses all had a couple more days off from their works, and after they had to be up the day before she had expected to have a small lie in that day. But as soon as her eyes were open she couldn’t get back to sleep. She moved a little and heard her wife sigh at her movement. She leant over and kissed her sleeping wife, she did a double take when she didn’t see Emma curled on David’s chest, it took her a minute to remember that Emma had her own room now and was clearly sleeping in there, she leant over Ruby to kiss David before she climbed out of bed and covered her nightie with her robe. She sighed contently looking at their new room, she walked to the door and looked back at her spouses, Ruby had rolled over to throw her arm over David and Snow couldn’t help but fall in love them a little bit more.

She thought about checking in on Emma but she didn’t want to wake her up by letting the light from the hall into the room. She went downstairs to start brewing coffee and making tea for herself and Ruby, she figured she’d make some hot chocolate for Emma for breakfast, to go with the chocolate pancakes David would be making.

When she got down the stairs she paused, at first she thought that she was hearing something from the apartment below them, but she caught sight of a flickering light and realised that their television was on. When she walked closer she realised that the bundled up throw was in fact Emma curled in a ball underneath it. She frowned in confusion. ‘Maybe she’s sick’, she wondered, she placed her hand on her forehead and her frown deepened  when she saw that she didn’t have one. “Why are you sleeping down here, baby?” She whispered, not wanting to wake her up. She pressed the button on the remote to turn it off.

“Mommy?”

Snow span back around to face Emma when she heard Emma’s mumbling. She saw Emma blinking and rubbing her eyes open. She crouched down so they could be face to face. “Morning baby.” She stroked her hair wondering why she woke up when the room had become quiet. “Emmy, what’s going on, why are you sleeping on the couch?”

“I er… I fell asleep down here.”

Snow shook her head but smiled sympathetically at her. “Try again. We tucked you into your bed upstairs last night. What happened? Did you get sick? Or have a nightmare? Why didn’t you wake me, or mama, or daddy?”

“I…” Emma sighed, she was too tired to lie, and her parents where always pretty good at telling if she was lying anyway. “I tried to sleep but I couldn’t.”

“Okay, and why is that baby?”

“I tried to sleep but the room’s empty… I love it!” She insisted and it was true she absolutely loved her room, she’d never stayed in one as nice as that, let alone have one of her own. “But it kinda reminds me of how empty bedrooms used to be when I was in foster homes or some group homes. I’m sorry, I know it’ll be different when all my things are in there, I’m not being ungrateful, I promise.”

“Hey, hey, hey.” She soothed pressing a kiss to Emma’s forehead. She was still lying down, curled up with her blanket and plushies while apologising profusely, she seemed so young. “It’s okay, I know you’re not being ungrateful, it’s understandable you’d have trouble sleeping in a room which is mostly empty, anyone would have. Can I tell you a secret?” She waited for Emma to nod. “I found it weird sleeping in our new bedroom too, it’ll feel more like my own when I’ve added bits to it, but last night it felt like I was sleeping in a hotel room. I think I would have ended up curled up with you on this couch if I hadn’t had your daddy and mama there with me.” She stared at Emma with gentle expectation.

Emma looked down, at Toothless and the bear her mothers had given her the day before, she hugged them tighter to her chest before looking up at her mom. “It was too quiet.” She admitted quietly. “I got used to sleeping with you and mama and daddy.”

“Why didn’t you come into our room then?” Her head tilted to the side as she looked at her in confusion. She could hear two gentle set of footprints start down the stairs but pause in the middle. She could tell that they had heard what had been said so far and were letting Emma talk to her alone for now.

Emma started to fidget. She stayed quiet hoping to wait her mother out, but Snow was much more patient than she ever was. “You said that you guys having a bedroom upstairs would be good for you all to be able to have privacy.”

“Oh Emma.” She sighed. “Baby, we meant privacy from people who visit the loft early in the morning or late at night when people are trying to sleep in bed, not from you. Just because you have a brand new bedroom it doesn’t mean that you can’t sleep in our bed anymore, why else do you think we got such a big bed? You could sleep in our bed once more, or every night, we wouldn’t mind. Understood?”

Emma could see the truth in Snow’s eyes as she spoke. “Okay.” She agreed. She looked past her mom as she saw her other two parents walking over, their hair was tussled from sleep, but they looked wide awake and concerned over what they had heard.

Ruby sat on the arm of the couch, wincing in discomfort, she was certainly looking forward to getting the new one of these. She started to stroke her hair. “Silly puppy.” She chided gently, as though she was speaking to a child, which in a way she was. “You sleeping in our bed tonight?” She phrased it as a statement rather than a question

Emma was relieved how her mother phrased it, it was easier to agree than to have to ask, they all knew that if she told them she didn’t want to then they wouldn’t and couldn’t make her. “Okay mama.”

“Good girl.” Snow said softly.

“You look tired Kiddo,” David said crouching beside Snow and stroking his thumb under her eye to one of the bags, “why don’t you try and get some sleep, one of us will go with you. When you wake up I’ll make you some pancakes, we can help you put your things away, and we can have a movie night on the new couch?”

Emma shook her head stubbornly. “I don’t want to sleep right now.” She told him. “I got some sleep on the couch.”

“I think that a naptime will be in order a little later then.” David told her firmly yet kindly. He relaxed a little when she nodded.

“Why don’t you annoy your mama while Daddy and I sort out breakfast.” Snow suggested, she watched her wife slide down and move Emma so that her head was in her lap, she smiled as she watched David kiss Emma’s forehead. Seeing how much her spouses loved their child only made her love them more. “Tea?” She offered Ruby knowing it was her drink of choice.

“Thanks babe.”

“I’ll have coffee.” Emma gave her a charming smile, she pouted as she watched David snort with laughter, she knew that it wasn’t likely to happen. Coffee didn’t really agree with her… at all… it tended to make her rather hyper… it was worth a shot though.

“How about hot chocolate and a nap?” Snow countered.

Emma rolled her eyes good naturedly, but she smiled knowing that as much as she didn’t like it, her mother was most likely right. “’kay, deal…. on one condition.”

“Which is?” Snow asked cautiously.

“You guys help me decorate my new room with my new stuff.”

“Deal.”

Emma grinned at Snow agreeing immediately, David kissed her forehead again, and as they left the room Ruby cuddled her closer flicking on the tv. Emma felt safe again.

 


	7. Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma complains that her parents baby her too much - so they try and give her some space, during this time she meets a family member who she gets to know in secret.

 

Emma yawned as she ate her breakfast, waffles, which Ruby had made her. She heard her mom in the shower and her other mom walked downstairs  having just got dressed, she watched David walk over to the table holding two bowls of oatmeal and the coffee pot.

“Are you sure, I know you’re doing the accounts today, you’ll be busy and you’ll need to concentrate. I can sit her in the sheriff’s office that way she won’t be near anyone who’s dangerous… but I won’t be with her while I’m interrogating suspects.”

Emma rolled her eyes, they had been debating this all morning, usually at least one of her parents was off work and she’d hang out with them but Ruby and David were both working, and Snow was working all day with parent teach conferences after, which would have been  okay had Ruby not been doing all of the accounting on one of the busiest days at the diner, and if David hadn’t been in the middle of an investigation. She heard the bathroom door open and Snow walked out dressed for the day.   
“I am stay by myself.” Emma told them, she heard the quiet, in the corner of her eyes she saw Snow pause as she was walking over to the table. She looked up and saw her parents sharing a look between the three of them. Emma slouched in her chair and refrained from trying to sound as mature as she could when she spoke. “I can stay by myself.” She sighed loudly when they just shard a look again. “I’m not a baby.” She whined and saw them exchange another look. She figured why and tried not to huff. “I can protect myself.”

David and Ruby didn’t say anything as Snow slowly sat down at the table with her breakfast they looked at each other, all aware of Emma growing in frustration at their silence, they had a silent conversation anyway. They knew that they were protective of Emma, and that it was hard for her to get used to, but they also knew that Emma wasn’t like usual twenty year olds. She was much more childlike, they weren’t sure if it was due to the curse or going through the portal or her childhood or all three but it clearly affected her age, she was more like a kid than an adult or sometimes even a teen. They hadn’t seriously spoken to her about it, they didn’t want to make her feel self-conscious about behaviour she clearly couldn’t change.  
Mary Margaret had left her alone for a few hours during the curse and Emma had managed to set a pot of pasta on fire, she had done the same thing a week or so after the curse broke, both times she had been distracted by playing on her DS and lost track of time. They had told her she wasn’t allowed to cook without letting them know after that.

Snow looked questioningly at Ruby and David. Maybe they could give her a chance, a few of hours, a trial period. They felt bad that they seemed to always be dragging her around to their workplaces, they tried to take as much time off as possible, but they had recently found themselves very busy despite their best attempts.   
David shrugged slightly. And Ruby gave her a minute nod. Snow nodded back at them then turned her head to Emma. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, we understand that you’re frustrated that we’re… a little more careful with you and protective, and it may feel like we baby you too much, so we’ll try not to do that.” They were giving her a chance. “So we understand that you might want to stay by yourself today, but if you do we have some… _conditions_ , for our peace of mind.”

Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she had felt certain that she would have been made to go to the diner or station, she didn’t mind going to those places really they were pretty fun and usually they’d all meet for lunch and Snow would spend time with her after school. “What’s the conditions?” She asked eagerly.

“No cooking.” Ruby said firmly. “No using the oven, or microwave, or toaster, or any other cooking type thing… just no going in the kitchen unless it’s for a drink or snack.”

Emma nodded, she didn’t really want to try and cook or bake that day so it didn’t really matter to her, plus her parents cooking always tasted nicer than when she tried. “Okay, deal.”

“I’ll swing by, and pick you up, we can meet your mommies for lunch.” David told Emma with a smile as he tried to act casual and like it wasn’t mostly to make sure Emma was okay. “You have to let us know if you’re going to leave the loft,” he was looking more serious now, “that’s the other condition. Even if it’s just popping to the store for candy or something, we _need_ to know where you are, send us a text or ring one of us if you need to.”

Emma nodded at her dad’s serious tone, she thought that they were being a little paranoid, everything in the town was quiet and if there were any villains in the town they had obviously changed. But if that was the only way to get them to trust her with the responsibility then she’d quickly and easily agree. “Okay, yeah, I can do that.” She beamed as they all shared a look again before they relax. “So… I can stay by myself?”

“Yeah, pup, you can stay by yourself. Just make sure you have your phone with you, and take your keys if you go out, and-”

“And text you all, I got it.” Emma interrupted eagerly. She nodded her head, eager to prove herself, and perhaps if her parents weren’t having to worry about her they’d be a little less stressed.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma had felt a little lost when her parents went, they had all fussed about her before they had gone, offering if she wanted to go with them, Snow had even offered to take her to school with her if she wanted to decorate some of the school for the season.

She watched them out of the window as they got into their various cars, she got a text as Snow and Ruby both drove away, she read the text.  
  
**_David:_ _Last chance? :) x_**

Emma looked out the window and saw his sheriff’s car still there. She brought her thumb to her mouth and chewed on the nail. She stayed strong.   
  
****_Emma: Cya at lunch :) x  
  
_

**_David: Be good. Love you Kiddo, I’ll pick you up at half 12, remember to text :) x_ **

  
She watched David drive off and she sighed. She mooched around a little after they went. Flicking on the television trying to find something to watch, but found nothing, she played on her laptop and on some games on her phone. Eventually she got dressed and decided to go out. She read decided to go to the park, she had liked going there during the curse when she had nothing else to do, she liked feeding the ducks. She remembered Snow telling her that birds shouldn’t eat too much bread, she had shown her what was best for them to eat.

Emma went to the kitchen and grabbed some frozen peas and corn, letting them defrost quickly, she searched about and found some seeds and oats. She placed them into food bags and started to get ready to go out. She sent a text to her parents telling them that she was going to the park, she waited a little while to see if they would text her back, but obviously they were all busy as they didn’t text back. 

 

* * *

 

 

It didn’t take her too long to get to the park, by the time she did she had reached it she had received texts from Ruby and David on the group text, she worried for half a second that she had done something to upset Snow as she hadn’t said anything but when she checked the time she realised that Snow’s class wouldn’t be at recess yet. She relaxed a little.

The park was fairly quiet at this time of day, her eyes flickered over to the play area, she had always like playing, no, _hanging out_ on swings (adults didn’t play on swings after all). But the play area seemed to have been taken over by a group of moms so she just went straight over to the pond and started to feed the ducks.

“No bread?”

Emma jumped at the voice. She saw a man standing next to her, he was about the same height as her father, dressed in a long coat and what looked like a suit underneath, he was older than her parents, about sixty, maybe a little older. He smiled kindly at her she hesitated before sending him a small smile back. “It’s not good for ducks.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “I never knew that.”

“You don’t look like you’re dressed to feed ducks.” Emma said cautiously. Her hand was in her pocket, holding onto her phone, ready to run and ring for help… just in case.

The man nodded again. “You’re a smart girl. I used to take my son to feed the ducks, when he was so young that he probably doesn’t even remember it… _one_ of my sons… maybe if I had had raised both of them I could have stopped them going on the paths they went down...” His voice had gotten quiet as though he was lost in his thoughts before he came back to himself. “Perhaps I’ll get a second chance. I’m here now because… well I was…” He sighed and trailed off again. “To tell you the truth I was hoping to meet you.”

Emma’s heart quickened. “I… My parents are waiting for me.” She turned and readied herself to run.

“I’m your grandfather!” He called after her.

Emma stopped, she turned back around and saw the man, he looked desperate. Her face scrunched up as she tried to think, she had heard most of her parents stories, but mostly when she was tired and her parents had clearly hidden parts of them from her to protect her. “You’re not my mommy’s dad… he’s dead.” She knew that for certain. “…My mama doesn’t know who her dad is… are you him?”

“No.” He said firmly and shook his head. “I was your father’s father, and your uncle James’s father,” he paused for a second, “my name is Robert. This means that we’re family… if you want to be.”

“I want to be.” Her words were automatic, a couple of months before she was hesitant to accept her parents, but it had worked out perfectly and they were always telling her to trust more people. “We’re family… I’ve never had a grandparent before.”

“I’m glad to finally meet you. I was very, _very,_ surprise when I found out that your mother was pregnant with you. I didn’t think that I would ever have a grandchild from Snow and David. ” He smiled down at her as gently as he could manage. “I have to ask you, I have no right to ask, but I’ll ask anyway.” He told his granddaughter. “Please do not tell David, and your mothers, about meeting me. I was a failure of a father, a failure of a man, he will push me away, and stop you from seeing me. I’m your grandfather, I’d like to get to know you, to learn about your family through you, until the time is right for me to meet your father again.”

“Okay… But when you’re ready I can help you… No child should have to be apart from their parents.” She echoed her mama’s words to her not too long ago.

“I promise you when I am reunited with my son you will very much be a part of it.”

Emma grinned and nodded in satisfaction. “Okay.” She pulled out her phone and checked the time on it. “I have to go and meet with my parents now… but maybe you could text me and we could meet up again… maybe you could tell me stories about my dad? And my uncle James?”

“I would enjoy that.” He told her wholeheartedly.

 

* * *

 

 

Over the next three weeks Emma started to trust her grandfather more and more, she would meet him whenever her parents were all working, and she kept the secret that she had met her grandfather. She understood, to an extent, from what she had learnt from David he had spent most of David’s childhood drinking and then had fallen off the wagon and disappeared. But that didn’t mean that it wasn’t killing her inside that she had to lie to her parents that she was just going to the park and would sometimes talk to a girl her age there, she used the same fake name anytime they asked her about her new friend. She mostly avoided her parents for a few weeks, it hurt even her more than it appeared to hurt her parents, but she had made a promise to her grandfather and she hated to break promises.

When they met he would tell her stories, ones about her father and even more stories her uncle James, perhaps it was because James was the one who died at least with David he might be able to get a second chance which was impossible with James. Most of the stories about James were of his when he was young, Emma wasn’t sure how old exactly James and David were separated perhaps they had been toddlers together, or perhaps he was just making it all up. There were also stories about the history and battles in the Enchanted Forest, and other famous stories about the Enchanted Forest she supposed he must have told her father. 

 

* * *

  

Her mom was the only one home with her that evening, Snow was marking papers, while Emma was sat in the office area at the desk beside Snow’s playing on her laptop. Music was playing from Snow’s computer relaxing yet happy classics. She got a text and checked it on her mac, it was a message from her grandfather asking her to meet. There was a promise to buy her ice cream with it. She looked over at her mom, and hesitated before asking/ telling her mom that she wanted to go to the park, she was quite enjoying being able to just chill with her mom. But her grandfather had made it sound as though it was urgent.

“I think I might go to the park for a little while, I need some air.”

Snow was careful to not give her a curfew, she was trying to treat her older than she had been, they all had, but she was worried, Emma was acting different, more reserved. “Okay, honey, your mama and daddy said they’d be home at nine, I was thinking that we could have a movie night… if you want?”

“Erm, okay, sure.” She smiled as she pulled on her jacket.

“Emma,” Snow sighed gently. “I know we’ve been busy working a lot recently, I’m sorry about that, we’re trying to get things settled down enough so that we can spend more time with you.”

“It’s okay, mommy, I understand.” And she did, but in that moment she wanted all of her parents even more than she had in the past few weeks, it was killing her having to push them away to keep her grandfather secret. “A movie night sounds really good. I might get a lift home with daddy, I’ll get him to buy popcorn and candy.” She paused pulling her shoes on to shoot a smirk at her mother.

Snow rolled her eyes playfully as her daughter shot her a smile identical to the one David usually had. “Not too much candy, baby, be careful and send me texts to keep me from worrying about you, please.”

“’Kay mommy.” She leant down to hug her mom and smiled as she felt the kiss on her cheek. “Love you.”

 

* * *

 

 

The visit to the park with her grandfather didn’t seem too urgent, he just told her stories, mostly about James. She was confused hearing about James as an adult, he was either making it all up, or he had been alive and living in George’s kingdom while her father with living with his mother in poverty, she wasn’t sure what she should think of her grandfather in that moment.

She knew that she would have to be heading home soon, very soon, but what her grandfather said made her completely forget about it...

“Hopefully soon my son, my _other_ son, James, will be joining our little family too.”

Emma blinked heavily in surprise. “But… I thought that… My daddy said that he died… that’s why my daddy had to leave the farm he lived on and go and fight a dragon.” Emma said gently, she assumed that he knew that, it was one of the major points in her father’s life. And it had been the end

“I think that he was brought back, while we were all still in the Enchanted Forest .” He told her “I think that he’s being blocked by magic in this town so that we can’t find him…but you have magic and I was hoping… if it’s not too much to ask…”

She knew it was selfish, but part of her wanted to reunite her uncle with the rest of her family she would have an uncle to add to her growing family, and she knew that if she found her uncle too then her father would be more inclined to accept her grandfather too.

There was also the matter of her being ‘the saviour’ on her mind, mostly spawned from a stray comment she had heard from a certain fairy while she was at the diner, that ‘for a saviour she doesn’t do a lot of saving, and that she should be trying to help people achieve their happy endings. She couldn’t really argue against it. She could start with giving her parents, uncle, and grandfather a happy ending, then work on everyone else’s.   
“Of course I’ll help… I don’t know how-“

“You’re a product of ‘ _true love_ ’, you have magic, I can help it out of you.”

Emma squirmed a little, the way he said it reminded her of way too many foster parents, but she was overreacting. “Okay, okay sounds good… do you have a plan?”

 

* * *

 

 

David sighed as he pulled up to the park.   
He had gotten home at ten, an hour after he had said he would be home, before he had gotten home his wives had both been freaking out when Emma hadn’t gotten home and wasn’t answering her cell, when he got home and hadn’t seen Emma at all they went into full panic mode. David quelled his own fear and told them to stay home while he searched the park, they didn’t want to freak Emma out by Ruby turning up wolf-ed out and embarrassing her in front of her friend. If he didn’t find her then they could freak out. If he did find her here he’d be having a very long conversation with her about not answering her phone especially when she said she would be home an hour earlier.

He got out of his car and started to search the park. He found her close to the pond, he was frustrated with her, but he also couldn’t help but smile at how much she clearly loved the pond. He was fairly close to Emma before he realised she was sat on the bench with someone else, the someone else wasn’t a young woman or teen like she had told them she had become friends with, it was an older man.

Recognition set a fire inside of him.

He raced forward.

His voice tore through him. “Get away from her!”

Emma shot up. “Shit.” She said quietly.

“Emma come over here, get behind me, _Emma now._ ” David commanded.

The man on the bench slowly stood up, doing up his coat, he smiled at David. “Hello, son.”

“I’m not your son, _George,_ so fuck off. Emma, we’re going home.”

“Yes, you are, the exact same as James was. Trust me when I say that I never regret Rumpelstiltskin taking James instead of you.”

Emma had never been so confused, she didn’t understand what her grandfather was saying she thought that he loved James as much as she loved David, it didn’t make any sense. But mostly she was pissed at how her father was acting. She hadn’t exactly welcomed David with open arms, when she had found that he was her father, but she hadn’t acted like he was. She hadn’t been that angry, had she? “This isn’t a big deal, just chill, I have a right to know my grandad!”

“Emma. We are going. _Now._ ” He stressed each word with his hand clutched into a fist at his side, his eyes didn’t leave the older man, who was just stood smirking.

“What? No!” Emma protested, her foot stamped on the grass beneath her. “I’m not going! I’m staying with my grandfather, I’m not a baby I can stay here by myself!”

“Yes, David,” a smile slowly grew on his face, “why don’t you leave the girl with me, her grandfather. I’ll look after her.”

“Emma, go to the car… _now Emma_!”

“We’re busy here, Shepherd, why don’t you go back to your home?” His voice lowered so that only David could hear him. “A wife, a house, and a dog. The perfect family. You don’t even need a kid.”

David launched himself at him at him, he punched him one, a good right hook leaving George’s nose bloody and probably broken. He grabbed him by his coat lapels and pushed him against a nearby tree. “If you even look at her again I’ll kill you myself.” He growled.

Emma sank back into herself, she had never seen her dad act like that, she wasn’t scared that he’d hurt her but the familiarity of having been in her grandfather’s shoes once or twice before. The small whimper she let out was involuntary “Daddy.”

David let go of George, he had heard Emma but he couldn’t quite back away from George yet, his mind was buzzing and silent at the same time  but he could hear how scared Emma was. “If you go near any of my family ever again, _especially my kid_ , I’ll make sure that you’re thrown out of this town and can never get back in again.” He walked back over to Emma and scooped her up into his arms, he could tell she was majorly pissed at him but he didn’t care, he had her and she was safe and that was all that mattered.

“Let go of me. I wanna stay here.” She wiggled in her father’s arm but he held her tighter

“We’re going home.” He told her firmly.

“Emma,” George called after them, “everything I told you was true, you can still help find your uncle. He’s here. I know he is. We can be a family together. The three of us.”

David tightened his grip on Emma and the speed of which he was striding out of the park. He placed her into the back of the truck, he clicked the belt around her. “Keep the belt on.” He told her sternly, they both were radiating anger, partially at each other, but David’s was mostly at George while Emma was turning her confusion into rage.

David slammed the door shut and the kid lock clicked automatically. He took a moment to take a deep breath of the cold air. He could feel his skin crawl as he thought of George’s eyes watching them across the park. He remembered the abuse George would dole out after he had adopted David, the Enchanted Forest version of it, and he was certain James had to withstand just as much. He didn’t want that for Emma. She had already gone through so much. He wouldn’t have her go through even more abuse.

 

* * *

 

 

They were silent on the drive back to the loft, David held so tight to the steering wheel that his knuckles were white and hurt, Emma clenched her teeth so much it hurt and she kept kicking the car and huffing. She was fuming at her father for dragging her away like that, for treating her like she was a little kid, and for taking her away from some of her family.

When they pulled up at the loft David kept a tight hold of her arm as he led her up the steps. He had already texted his wives when they had first gotten into the truck so that they’d know what was happening. He wasn’t about to let his daughter out of his sight, he opened the door still holding onto her, led her in and closed the door before he’d let go of her.

“Is she okay?” Ruby asked panicked, taking a step towards Emma, she examined her with her eyes.

“Did he hurt her?” Snow demanded, torn between keeping hold of Emma forever, and going and attacking George.

Emma ignored her mothers’ she just took a step back from them. “He’s my family!” She shouted at David. “Whether you like it or not!”

David clenched his jaw, frustrated at Emma, and unbelievably angry at his ‘father’. “Go up to your room, right now, and _stay there_.” He told her pointing at the stairs. He needed to talk to Snow, Ruby, maybe Regina too. He needed to sort this out.

“Fine!” Emma shouted back and stomped up the stairs. “Maybe I’ll go live with my grandfather, at least he tells me things! He doesn’t treat me like a baby!” She slammed her door behind her.

“Over my dead body!” He shouted back despite having heard her door slam and her plodding around above them.

Ruby’s hand gripped onto David’s arm. “Stay here.” She told him firmly.

“Rubes-“

“No.” Snow said just as firmly as Ruby had. “Stay here and calm down, you need to talk to Emma, to explain.”

“She just said she’d rather live with _him_ , cause he doesn’t care that she’s just a kid, I _can’t_ let that happen!”

“We won’t let that happen.” Ruby insisted just as urgently as David was. “But we need to explain to her what’s going on

David nodded his head and sighed. “I just…” His voice sounded defeated. “… I know she claims not to be a baby, but I just wanted to protect her. I didn’t want her to have to deal with all of this, with _him,_ I don’t want him to have the chance to hurt her like he hurt me and… and James… I guess I have to talk to her about it, now.”

“We all need to talk to her.” Snow took hold of David’s hand and gently squeezed it. “Not just about this but about us treating her like she’s a child… because she mostly is.”

David sighed and collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs. He looked over at the stairs then his eyes dropped to look down at his hands webbed in front of him on the table. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “She kept calling him her grandfather.” He told them weakly. The banging around upstairs had stopped, he didn’t think that Emma had left though, it was a parent’s intuition that she was still there.

Ruby and Snow shared a look before sitting down on either side of him at the table. Snow took hold of one of David’s hands and brought it to her mouth, she kissed his knuckles, and looked into his eyes sympathetically. On his other side Ruby carefully took hold of David’s hand. Her thumb grazed his reddened knuckles. “That’s going to bruise.” Ruby said stating the obvious.

David nodded once.

“Good.” Ruby said firmly. “That means it was a good punch.”

David let out a puff of laughter and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face for the first time since he had come home from work. “Yeah, I think I might have broken his nose… I probably would have done more if Emma wasn’t there…. She wanted to stay with him.”

Snow and Ruby bristled as David’s whispering words. “She can’t mean that.” Snow said shaking her head. “ _David_ , she doesn’t honestly mean that… he’s not her grandfather, any more than he was your father.”

“He was though,” David sighed, “we may not have had adoptions in the same way we do in this realm, but he still adopted me. I don’t want him to be, but he was the reason I met you two, the reason we could go on to have our baby. I wish he had absolutely nothing to do with me, that he hadn’t hurt you two like he did in the Enchanted Forest,” he shook his head remembering the numerous attempts George had taken to try and destroy their happiness, “I wish Emma had never met him… I just… I don’t get why she thinks he’s her _actual_ grandfather.”

“He probably lied to her.” Ruby pointed out. “He’s not exactly going to come out and say that he killed your mom, or that he sent all of his knights after me calling me a monster and that I’m not human,” Snow reached across and squeezed her hand at the same time David squeezed her other one, “or that he poisoned Snow so that she wouldn’t be able to have any kids. That we battled with him until he had no power left, that he sent threats when we announced Snow’s pregnancy, and that he’s probably after revenge now.”

“We were trying to protect her from seeing the horrors in the world,” Snow said sadly, “I know she’s already seen a lot of horror, way too much horror for someone her age, but we wanted her to be saved from this – from having a family member who is evil. At least Regina had changed, George is still trying to play his little games, trying to manipulate her.”

“He said he was going to make the three of them a family... I have no idea what he means.“ He clenched his jaw . “I was scared and I took it out on her. I was so angry. She was so angry…. She’s never going to forgive me.”

“She’s a kid,” Snow soothed, “she’ll forgive you.”

“I completely babied her again, I’ve been trying so hard not to recently, but it was intuition, she might hate that more than me punching George… when she finds out what a dickhead George is anyway.”

“She’s going to have to get used to it.” Ruby said with almost uncharacteristic firmness. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “She’s not an adult, she might have been alive for twenty years but she’s just not. We all know it, most of the town knows it, _hell_ George probably knows that she’s basically a kid that’s why he waited until she was alone to play on her emotions.”

“That’s not happening again.” Snow nodded in agreement.

David nodded his head, slower than his wife had, but it was still just as certain as his spouses. “I need to talk to her,” the fear and anger he had felt minutes before had nearly completely dissipated “to make her understand that she can’t see him again… I’m going to have to tell her what he’s really like.”

Snow could hear the regret in his voice and she offered him a sympathetic smile.

“Why don’t you two wait down here while I talk to the kid?” David stood up. “I’ll bring her down so we can all talk to her together about her… age? Maturity? Whatever, the fact that she needs the supervision we’d give a child, however we phrase it we’re gonna have to be careful but firm.”

“We will.” Ruby said. “I think she might be more open to listening after this.”

“Not that she’s going to have much of a choice.” Snow added.

 

* * *

  

David had only been upstairs for a couple of minutes before Ruby and Snow received a text from him asking them to join him upstairs, quietly, when they got up the stairs and into Emma’s bedroom they found Emma curled up in her hanging egg chair fast asleep. David was crouched beside her with a tender look on his face, fear at losing her, in combination with a look that he could barely believe that she was his.

“I guess all of the yelling took it out of her.” Ruby said. “Do you want to move her?”

“I  don’t want to wake her.” David whispered back. “She looks peaceful.”

Snow peered intently at her sleeping daughter. “She looks tired… How did I not notice that?”

Ruby frowned but rubbed her wife’s back. “Don’t blame yourself, I didn’t either, maybe it’s because she’s hide to lie to us and hide what she’s been up to the past few weeks.”

“Probably.” David mumbled, he grabbed a blanket from Emma’s bed and tucked it around her, then grabbed Emma’s baby blanket and placed it into her arms, he smiled gently as she cuddled it closer to her in her sleep.

“Let’s let her sleep a while.” Snow told them before leading them out of the room.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma stayed asleep in her hanging chair until the early hours, she woke up exhausted but she couldn’t get back to sleep. She exited her room and paused outside of her parents closed door. They always left the hallway light on for her as she wasn’t a fan of the dark, she knew that they were pissed at her _especially_ David, but they had still left it on for her… All of her years in group homes and foster homes had led her to be surprised at that. All she would have to do is open the door, she could wiggle into their bed, cuddle up to them and she was certain they would cuddle her back. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She headed downstairs.

 

* * *

 

 

The downstairs had changed dramatically since she had moved in with Mary Margaret during the curse. The kitchen had been remodelled and updated with the things they had bought on their trip to the mall, there was a new dining room table, the lounge was now an office with three desks and two bookcases filled with books. She turned and walked towards what used to be her parents’ bedroom. There was now a brick wall in place with light grey barn doors which matched the kitchen cabinets, when the doors were closed it gave them a bit more privacy and made watching movies cosier, they were currently open and she walked over and curled up in the corner of the new, plush couch. She thought about turning on the tv but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it, she couldn’t cope with the noise as she thought about her feelings, there had been something about David’s reaction to his father which had just seemed… _off_ , though she had no idea what exactly it was.

 

* * *

 

 

David plodded into the living room not half an hour later.

He hadn’t slept from the moment he and his wives had gone to bed, when he had heard Emma moving about he had waited for her to come into their room but he had shouted at her, he had scared her, so of course she wasn’t going to come into their room. He had waited a little while, led beside Ruby who was sleeping peacefully, he had hoped she was just grabbing a snack or a drink before going back to bed but when he didn’t hear her heading back up the stairs he got up himself, careful not to wake either of his wives as he left the room.

He saw Emma curled up in the corner part of the couch, her eyes met his as he got to the open door of the living room, when she didn’t move and instead just shot him an almost imperceptibly small smile he walked into the room and sat on the couch beside her. He turned so that he was facing his daughter, an empty seat between them, Emma sat up more so that they could actually talk.

“I’m sorry that I shouted and scared you.” David told her softly and honestly.

Emma looked away from his eyes and bit her lip. “You didn’t scare me.” She was lying and they both knew it, but David clearly understood what she meant, she had been scared but she wasn’t scared _of_ him. “Why did you… Why do you hate your dad so much?... I know I wasn’t nice to you when the curse broke, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t act like that.”

“I think your mommy might have helped with that.” David smirked knowing how much Snow had helped Emma with coming to terms with their family and stopped her form hating and shouting at David as best she could. “The man you were with, he’s not really my dad, he’s…” He sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. “Do you remember me telling you about how I had to leave my farm and fight the dragon, that I took my brother James’ place.” He watched her nod and he took a deep breath.   
He hated George, completely, and wanted to keep his daughter away from him forever, but Emma had thought she had had more family, she had clearly been excited to gain a grandfather, she had even bonded with the person.

“You became a prince. And you met my mommies.”

“I did.” David smiled gently at her. He took hold of her hand. “I was adopted, the Enchanted Forest version of it, by the King who had adopted James. His name was George, that was the man who was with you, he’s not a good man.”

“He said he was called Robert.” Emma frowned. “He said he was your and James’ daddy, he told me stories, he said they were about you when you were a kid.”

David scooted closer to her when he heard how confused and upset she sounded. “I think that those were probably stories about James. He wasn’t very nice to me.” He spoke carefully like he would to a small child but he knew that he would have to tell her what he was like in order to make sure she wasn’t going to want to be near George. “He used to hurt me. And he told me he’d hurt my mother if I didn’t marry Kathryn, she was called Abigail back there, she didn’t want to be married either but her father was making her- I helped her find her true love and I fell in love with your mommies.”

“But… your mommy…”Emma whispered, trailing off.

“George sent his knights to kill her. She was shot with an arrow.” David nodded blinking tears back at the memory of seeing the blood on Ruth’s dress. “We tried to save her, me, your mommies, and Lancelot, there was one droplet of the cure left, my mother gave it to your mommy without her knowing so that your mommy’s curse would be lifted.”

Emma felt sick. She had spent time with the man who had done that. She had considered him a grandparent, he had tried to beat her father into submission, and killed her _actual_ grandparent. “You broke mommy’s curse?” Emma spoke slowly and confused.

He squeezed her hand gently and supportively. There was no doubt in his mind that she believed him about George. “I did. George wanted to destroy any chance of my happiness, he sent his knights after your mama calling her a monster, and he had your mommy poisoned so that she would never be able to have children. Your Grandma Ruth slipped the magic water into mommy’s drink and cured her.”

Her mind raced with the words he had said to her.   
‘ _I was very, very, surprise when I found out that your mother was pregnant with you. I didn’t think that I would ever have a grandchild from Snow and David.’  
_  “But… she died.”

“She chose to sacrifice herself, she _chose_ it, and it’s not your fault for being born.” He turned and pulled her into a side hug, he knew she was blaming herself simply for Snow having her, as though she had forced Ruth’s hand. He felt her cuddle closer to him and cling onto his t-shirt. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “And it’s not your fault that you believed George, he lied to you, you wanted to believe that you had more family and that’s not a bad thing kiddo. But next time, not that there will be one, if I tell you that you need to go somewhere, especially if I seem worried, you need to do it right away. Trust me when I say that I’m only ever looking out for you.”

“I’m sorry.” Emma mumbled. “Am I in trouble?”

“For not doing what I told you?”

Emma shook her head. “I… I lied to you and mommy, and mama, I told you I was meeting a friend, I lied to you about who it was… on purpose.”

“Hmm… I’ll talk to mommy and mama about it. You put yourself in a lot of danger by lying to us about who you were with, anything could have happened to you, especially with George. _Never_ do that again.”

“I promise.” She told him eagerly, desperate for him to believe her, she cuddled closer to him her mind racing as she thought about everything which had transpired. Everything the man who had fed the ducks with her had done to her family. How he acted as though her mama was a monster or an animal, how he had tried to stop her parents from even having her, how he had done absolutely everything possible to try and stop David from being happy. He had killed her grandmother. She clenched her fist in anger.

David could feel her tensed up in anger, he shook his head and begun to rock her in place, his thumb brushed over her knuckles. “Shhh, it’s okay kiddo, calm down. Everything’s okay. I know it’s hard but don’t worry about George, he’s never going near any of us ever again, I promise.”

Emma let her father rock her and tried to keep her eyes open as he soothed her. They were quiet for several minutes, so long that David had thought Emma might have fallen asleep, but eventually her quiet and sleepy voice sounded. “He said James is alive and living here, that he came back to life when you and mommy and mama were getting married, and he’s in town hidden by magic.”

David paused his rocking for a minute. “I think that George says a lot of lies.”

Emma shook her head. “I think he was telling the truth. We need to try, at least, try to find uncle James… please daddy.”

David sighed. That was his weakness. Emma calling him daddy got him all the time, no matter how often she did it, it was worse when she was begging him for something. Her begging him to look for her uncle was so sweet and heart breaking, even if it might be futile, how could he resist? “… Okay, we’ll try and look for him, as a family, we’ll get Regina to help too. But right now I think it’s bedtime for the both of us, you look exhausted, you definitely need to catch up on all the sleep you’ve clearly been missing.”

“I’ve not missed too much sleep.” Emma grumbled as David helped her up.

“Uh huh.” David wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the living room and towards the stairs. “I think that you have. Come on, you’re sleeping in our bed tonight, kiddo.”

“So I won’t sneak out?” Emma mumbled with a sigh.

“So that we won’t worry about you and so we know where you are.” She shot him a look claiming she was right. “We’re parents, worrying about our baby is what we do, you’re just gonna have to get used to it.”

Emma started up the stairs with David behind her. “I’m used to it.” And she had been… before she had decided to push them away because she didn’t want to be babied.  
She couldn’t help but regret that now. She didn’t realised how much she had missed just spending time with her parents until just now, being with her father, she wished she had never pushed them away, despite her words weeks before she actually had fun at their works and chilling with them.

Once up the stairs David wrapped his arm around her shoulders again and kissed the top of her head. “Hmm.” He hummed.   
He knew that he and his wives would be talking to Emma the next day, technically that day he supposed, so if she was lying about being used to it then she certainly would be used to it soon. He opened the door and led her towards the bed, he held the covers open and she climbed in next to Ruby, when he climbed in beside her she quickly curled up against his chest as though she had never stopped doing so.

“I’m sorry.” Emma whispered.

“Hey, hey,” David whispered he began stroking her hair, “it’s all forgiven. Time to sleep now, kiddo.”

Before long she was fast asleep, David smiled down at her in the dark, only then did he allow himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Is James still alive? The next chapter will show Red Snowing's talk with their daughter.


	8. Not Cursed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Charmings finally address why Emma acts so young, with some Grandma Regina

 

When Emma woke up the next morning she was completely alone in her parents’ bed. She couldn’t help but feel a little bit sad about that, she thought that she shouldn’t be quite as upset about not seeing her parents as she was, but in her defence normally she would have brought her two build a bears and blanket in with her but she hadn’t thought of it when she had been led to the bed by her father. She looked over at her mother’s alarm clock and realised why, it was a little later than she usual woke up, which explained why all of her parents had decided to start their days, she supposed that David was right when he had said that she was overtired.

She headed down the stairs and found her parents all up and dressed ready for their days, Snow was washing up their breakfast dishes, David was drying them, and Ruby was brewing a new pot of coffee while wiping down the kitchen counters.  

Ruby dropped her cloth as she spotted Emma stumbling into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she walked, and nearly falling into the stools at the island. She walked over to her daughter and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Good morning, pup.” She greeted dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. “You want some Lucky Charms?” She asked guiding her towards one of the stools as David grabbed a bowl and the box and passed them to Ruby.

Emma nodded her head, through a yawn, and started getting comfortable on the stool in the new kitchen. “I’m sorry about yesterday.” She mumbled to her mothers, remembering all of her shouting and basically ignoring them the day before, in her pyjamas she felt even more like a little kid than usual.

“It’s okay, pup, we understand what George is like. Your daddy told us how he manipulated you, we should have kept you safe and away from him, we’re going to make sure that that isn’t going to happen again.” Ruby told her, she wanted to make sure that Emma didn’t keep blaming herself, she had heard enough about George from David about how he manipulated many people into doing morally bad things- he nearly manipulated her husband into marrying Abigail by threatening Ruth. She poured Emma a bowl of the cereal and Snow leant over the counter to pour milk into the bowl.

“We’re going to have a talk after you’ve eaten, baby.” Snow told her gently, still she grimaced at Emma’s worried look at the mention of a talk, she knew it would take time for Emma to stop being so worried over things like that she just wished that she didn’t feel like that. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, I just think we should write down some new rules so that we’re _all_ clear of them, and so that there can be no uncertainty for any of us which includes if you think we’re overreacting.”

David handed her over a spoon. “And then we’ll talk about your age.” David told her gently and lovingly, he knew that Emma had been wondering about why she was acting younger than other twenty year olds, after all he would have been wondering the same and she took after him.

 

* * *

 

 

No one could claim that that Snow’s cursed past as a teacher wasn’t lucrative as they all sat at the table with a sheet of A3 and art supplies ready to create the list of rules, they thought that Snow might be over doing it a little but no one said a word, and Emma figured that at least she would be able to doodle on the paper while her parents bored her to death.

David bit his lip as he looked at the glitter glue, stickers, foam stickers, felt tips, crayons, and a multitude of pens –gel pens of all varieties: neon, glitter, metallic, pastel, and of course scented. He looked up and his eyes met Ruby’s across the table and they both struggled to force themselves not to laugh at how prepared their wife seemed to be for literally any situation. He had to bite his lip harder to avoid laughing out loud.

Snow saw her spouses’ looks of barely contained amusement, she had never thought that Emma would be the one taking this the most seriously, she rolled her eyes playfully at them when they both caught her eye at the same moment. “Okay,” she said picking up a pen, “what do you think should be our first rule Emma?”

Emma shrugged her shoulders and made an ‘I don’t know’ noise.

“How about I start.” Snow gently suggested. “You have to tell us if something’s wrong: Whether that’s an event, something’s emotionally wrong, you’re sick or hurt, anything at all. It’s our job as your parents to look after you and we can’t do that if we don’t know all of the facts.”

“We’ll try and keep you as informed as possible about anything in return, Em.” Ruby added. “We always do as that’s what family does, but we want you to know that sometimes it’s a little harder to do that straight away, but we’ll always update you as soon as we can.”

“Okay.” Emma agreed only a little reluctantly, but she knew them well enough that she knew they would stay true to their word and would try and tell her about those things if they came up. She bit her lip and started to doodle on the light purple paper. “Daddy said he’d talk to you about if I’m in trouble…” She said addressing her mothers.

Snow started to stroke Emma’s hair from her seat next to her, she looked over at her spouses, then nodded her head minutely to show them that she’d speak to tell Emma what they had been discussing while she was sleeping. “You’re not really _in trouble_.” She said slowly emphasising the last two words especially. “But we are going to be going back to you always being with at least one of us, you’re our baby and we worry about you. As hard as this may be for you to come to terms with you obviously find it harder to stay safe on your own, sometimes you don’t recognise the dangers around you, and you need our supervision. It’s not a punishment but it is something you need, I think we all agree on that, right?”

Emma debated it for a minute, her parents were patient enough not to say anything as she thought it through, she knew that she usually wrote her parents off as being over protective… but thinking about it, way over half of the times she had been about to do something dangerous. “I guess I agree too…” She hated how awkward this was, and how much it was making her feel like more of a little kid than she was already feeling, she was still in her pyjamas which wasn’t helping. “Am I just gonna be stuck in here?” The loft was a whole lot cooler now it had been updated but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t grow boring if she was stuck in there all of the time.

“You’re only grounded to us, kiddo.”

“I know the waitresses at Granny’s have missed having you around, and giving you as many sugary things as possible, Granny’s missed spoiling you especially.” She knew that Emma would probably be even more spoilt than usual after they hadn’t seen her in ages, they had pretty much spent most of Ruby’s shifts bugging her about when her kid would be around again. “Can you think of another rule to add pup?”

Emma looked up at her mother’s encouraging smile and tried to think of ones she tried to live by when her parents were all cursed and she had just moved in with Mary Margaret, when she was trying her hardest to make sure she wouldn’t be kicked out, and ones she used to be given in different foster homes. “Do chores?” She offered. “Like clean up my room and around here.”

“Tidy up after yourself.” Snow sounded out the words as she wrote them.

“Only after yourself.” David told her firmly.

“Yeah,” Ruby agreed, “we only mean you not making massive messes, we don’t want you obsessing over keeping everything spotless.”

“And you don’t clean up our messes, baby,” Snow added, “that’s our job, this isn’t like the places you lived before here. This is a home, not a show house, I may like it fairly neat but like I said it’s a home it’s meant to be a little messy.”

“That’s why your mama gets to sleep on the bed.”

Emma let out a burst of laughter which wasn’t controlled even slightly by the hand covering her mouth.

“Keep making those dog jokes, Princey, and _I_ won’t be the one in the dog house.” Ruby shot him a playful glare which only made their daughter laugh at them more.

“You have to eat vegetables.” David stated, once his daughter had stopped her laughter, and had started to decorate the sheet Snow was writing on again. He felt only a touch bad about Emma’s look of betrayal as he was the one to say it. “You’ll get sick if you don’t, and you already get sick often.”

“But… But you’re making rules about veggies too?” Emma whined.

“Yes.” Snow told her in a firm but loving way. “Mommies and daddies who want their daughters to live for eight hundred years make them eat a few vegetables a week.” Snow gently dug her in her ribs and looked elated at Emma’s uncontained giggle.

“I’m fine with a sugar only diet and just three hundred years.”

“Uh huh.” Ruby said rolling her eyes playfully. “And you have to have your desert _after_ your meal even if it’s not us looking after you.” She gave her a knowing look.

“No going into the kitchen.” Snow added their all-time rule they were still intent on enforcing, they’d much rather their daughter didn’t get hurt, and danger seemed to follow her. “And you go up to bed at half ten latest, you don’t get enough sleep, if we find you’re still not sleeping enough that might get earlier.” She warned her, wanting her to have a heads up about that.

“You have to listen to us.” Ruby said with a sternness which was out of character for her. She shared a look with her spouses, they knew that Emma put herself in danger and that it wasn’t fully her fault, it was also the rule Emma was going to find the hardest to follow. “No exceptions. At all. Understood?”

Emma frowned and sat back slightly having heard the change of tone, she felt her parents’ eyes boring into her, as Ruby’s question hung in the air. “Yes mama.” She answered eventually.

Snow wrote it down. “I think we’re done: If something is wrong mommy, mama, or daddy need to be told. No going anywhere without your parents, or another adult. Tidy up after yourself. Eat proper meals. No using the kitchen without supervision. Abide by bedtimes. Listen to daddy, mama, and mommy - no matter what. ” Her tone had a forced peppiness which no one was fooled by and ‘no matter what’ was underlined. “How about we decorate this?” She suggested.

Emma found herself reading the words as she helped decorate it, her mother had made sure to use paper and write in a way which would help with her dyslexia, but no matter what she kept going back to the underlined words and the look she had spotted between her parents.

* * *

 

 

Eventually they were done with decorating the list of rules and Snow stuck it onto the fridge with magnets.

“So, what do you want to do today pup? You look tired, why don’t you stay in your jammies and we’ll have a lazy day? We all have some work to do later but we could always play video games or marathon a tv show?” Ruby helped her husband and daughter tidying up the craft stuff to stick away, holding her breath as she hoped to distract Emma, she didn’t want Emma to be overwhelmed with the new rules as well as the serious talk which was unavoidable. She knew, just as well as her spouses, that Emma needed to know but they all had different views on when.

“ _You said you’d explain it to me.”_ Emma crossed her arms over her chest, she hadn’t meant to sound whiny… it had just sort of come out. She was somewhat surprised when all her parents sighed at the same time and they sat back at the table across from her.

“Okay. Okay… So…” Snow started. She was trying to sound as positive as she could, for Emma, but she kept starting again. Snow was normally the one out of the three of them who was good as speaking: she would give speeches and be diplomatic, and while her spouses were also diplomatic David was more in charge of the protection of their kingdom and the knights, and Ruby was very good with numbers and was the kingdom’s treasurer, but Snow have been the one to always find the words…. She couldn’t find them.

Ruby placed her hand over Snow’s, interlocked their fingers, and gently squeezed. She opened her mouth then closed it again. She had no idea what to say.

“Em,” David started instead, “you’ve seen people who are about twenty in this town, right?” He waited for her to nod. “How do they act? Do they act differently to how you do?”

“They act like they’re all old, like you guys.” Emma shrugged. Her mothers not being able to word what it was, and her father asking her questions, was kind of freaking her out.

David smiled despite the situation. “And they are interested in pretty different things than you are.” David said factually but lovingly. “Your emotions are a bit more difficult than theirs and ours are, right? And you know why you have to stay with us most of the time, right?”

“Because I find it hard to see danger… like dangers to me…” She thought back to the day before, when she couldn’t control her emotions over everything which happened with George, she couldn’t argue against that one.

Snow sent her an encouraging smile. “And that’s okay, Emma, daddy’s just trying to help you understand a bit better.”

“When you kept going to the park we were talking to your Grandma -Regina, Gold, and some of the fairies.” Ruby told her. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, at all, and we wouldn’t want to change you for the world. But we want to try and understand you better, and to make sure you’re going to be okay and healthy, and to see if there’s any way we can help you.”

“…What did they say?” Her voice was small, in both volume and confidence.

“We always thought that you might be young because of you going through the wardrobe, we were talking to Gold about it as he knew Zelena and her curse best, he thinks that because you went through as the curse was happening you were affected by it, deeply affected. That’s why you’ve always been a bit… childish.” David spoke deliberately slowly knowing that it would hard for anyone to comprehend, Emma even more so. “We think that after the curse broke you would have had a second chance, to completely start over, but we think your magic stopped you from physically changing your body it’s just…” He started to lose his nerve, he was changing his little girls life forever, she needed to know it but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be hard for her.

“It’s just your mind, baby, it’s going to stay like a child. We’re not sure how long for but your grandma, Regina,” Snow clarified knowing that Emma and Regina hadn’t seen each other since Emma had started meeting up with George, “she says it’s like your age is frozen but eventually you’ll get older.”

“……Like next month?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Like in several years.” Ruby told her sympathetically. “It’s going to be okay, puppy. _Emma_ , we’re going to look after you, nothing’s going to change, it’ll be just like normal, it’s just now you know why you’re feeling and acting how you do. It’s going to be okay, my little pup.”

“So I’m like… I’m like cursed?” Emma ignored her mama’s reassurances. “…But we can solve it by like true love, right? One of you just has to kiss me. We shared true love, all of us, you said so, you promised.”

Their hearts broke seeing the hope in her wide eyes as she tried to cling on that she could fit in and be like everyone else. They didn’t blame her, they wouldn’t want to be stuck looking like their twenty year old selves when actually being a little kid.

“We _do_ share true love.” David promised, tears in his eyes as he watched his baby so lost and distressed. He had no idea if this was worse than her not knowing. There was no easy answer in this. “I promise kiddo.”

“Pup, it’s just _like_ you’re cursed, but you’re not this is just…” Ruby sighed. “This is who you are, you’re just acting a little younger since you broke the curse, but you’re still you. There’s nothing to be solved, puppy.” She tried to reach over to touch Emma, to try and be close to her, to comfort her, but Emma shrugged off the hand. She looked like she was in shock.

“I’m sorry baby,” Snow said finally, her eyes watered as her daughter looked so young and lost, “I’m _so_ sorry.” Snow tried to stroke her hair, as she did to calm her down, but Emma moved again.

“I just…” Emma stood up. “I just need to… just need to think it through.”

“Pup-.” Ruby said gently, she was worried about her, and didn’t really want her being alone.

“I’ll stay upstairs, I promise, I’m not gonna sneak out or anything. I just need to think it through.” Emma insisted and started to walk towards to the stairs. “You can use your werewolf senses to make sure I’m still there.” She pointed out as she practically ran up the stairs.

“We’re here when you’re ready to talk, kiddo.” David called after her.

Ruby sighed and fell back into her seat. “She’s up there.” She said though none of them expected otherwise. “Did that go… _well_?”

“I don’t think there’s a precedent for this sort of conversation.” Snow’s hands started to re-sort the craft things without even noticing.

“How long do with give her before going and checking on her?” David asked, but none of them had a clue.

 

* * *

 

Emma was upstairs for hours, led mostly underneath her bed, she had her blankie and her two teddies with her. She just kept turning her parents words over and over in her head. She had wanted the explanation but she hadn’t actually thought of what the answer could be. She supposed this one made the most sense. But it was still scary, terrifying, she wasn’t even an adult anymore, that was one of main excuses she used to do things. It was a part of her identity, one she often felt she was faking, but now if she tried to claim she was an adult her parents could just prove that she wasn’t.

She stayed under the best clutching onto her things (the items which proved she was really a child) unaware of anything until she heard the sound of her bedroom door opening, and heels on the floor heading towards her. She could tell it wasn’t her mama or her mommy, and there were no heels in the apartment in David’s size, which she was aware of anyway, but they were certainly familiar. She just stayed still and waited to see what was about to happen.

Regina had been visiting her step daughter anyway, to talk about things including about Emma, but when she had received a message from Snow freaking out about Emma’s reaction to being told her truth she sped up going to the apartment. She had been filled in by Snow about what was going on with Emma and where she was, they had been in to check on her several times but she had been so quiet under the bed that they would have thought that she was asleep if Ruby couldn’t tell.

Regina cleared her throat. “If you’re trying to play hide and seek I’ve found you.”

“No you haven’t” Emma’s mumbled voice came from under the bed.

Regina sighed. She was wearing a pantsuit as usual, it was definitely not the outfit to be wearing to be lying on the floor to talk to her grandchild in, and yet that was what Regina did. On the floor she came eye to eye with her granddaughter, in her head she remembered trying to protect all of the Charming’s from her sister’s curse, her thinly veiled excitement about becoming a grandmother (even if she was far too young for it in her opinion).  “Hello Miss Charming.”  She had called her Miss Swan under the curse (when Emma had been working with Henry) but she was fairly certain it had changed now to her birth name.

“Did my parents send you here?” Emma pouted.

Regina rolled her eyes. “You look like your mother when you pout like that. And I am not someone who allows themselves to be sent places. I was here visiting your mothers.”

“And my daddy?”

“Hmm… I suppose him too.” She joked and saw a tiny smile appear on her granddaughter’s face before she grew more serious. “I wanted to visit you too. I’ve barely seen you since the curse broke, and there’s a lot for us to talk about, like you meeting Albert Spencer, or George whatever he’s calling himself nowadays.”

“He pretended to be Robert: my daddy’s daddy.” Emma told her, she’d much rather talk about that than the reason why she was led under her bed, she didn’t know what to think about being a child and what her parents had told her at all. “I know he lied but I don’t think he was lying about James being alive, I want to find him, please can you help.”

Regina frowned, Emma wasn’t even slightly subtle about trying to distract her, but she saw that Emma believed that James was alive and she trusted Emma. “We’ll look into it, you and Henry can help me if you like, I know you two were good at that during the curse. You know, finding out that your age is lower than you thought it is doesn’t change who you are or how you act.” Her eyes flickered to her teddy and the dragon cuddled in her arms along with her blankie. “You’re still Emma, this just explains to us and to you why you’re the same height as my twelve year old and why you act younger than him, you know your parents don’t care about you being younger they were just worried about you and they knew that you were worried too.”

Emma sighed gently. “I know.”

Regina frowned worriedly. “Okay, that’s good.” She said slowly. “Can you tell me what’s wrong then?”

Emma frowned as she tried to word what was wrong but she couldn’t.

Regina could see she was struggling. “How about we start by getting up from under your bed and sit on it instead? While your pyjamas seem very comfort my pantsuit isn’t really ideal to be lying on the floor in, if I had known I would be I would have worn my own pyjamas.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “You wear pyjamas?”

Regina raised an eyebrow expertly. “You think I wear a pantsuit to bed?”

“Kinda?” Emma offered with a shrug, she couldn’t help but smile as Regina rolled her eyes and said that she took after David, she let Regina help her up from under the bed.

Once they were both settled on the bed, Emma still had a hold of her teddies and baby blanket, Emma felt the worry and other unpleasant feeling deep in her gut once again. She looked down at her teddies instead of at Regina.

Regina cupped Emma chin, making her look her in the eye, she gave her a supportive and certain smile as she often did to her own twelve year old son, Henry.  “What’s wrong Emma?” She asked gently.   
She may have been filled in by her step daughter and step son and daughter in law, but she could tell there was something more on her mind, especially as she looked to be clinging onto her teddies for dear life. She looked much younger than Henry right then. Her voice got even softer.   
“You can tell me, I’m your,” she swallowed deeply as she braced herself for her own words, “ _grandma,_ after all.”   
She was much too young to be a grandmother after all, especially to someone who had been alive for twenty years, but it was what she had been going to be before Emma was born so she supposed she still was, even if she hadn’t known it for a couple of decades.

Emma paused for a few seconds. “They nearly had a second chance... My magic ruined it for them.” Her own words surprised her but she knew it was true.

Regina struggled to hear Emma’s quiet voice, but what she did manage to hear worried her, she had a bad feeling about this. “What do you mean by that? Can you explain it to me, please? Then I can try and help you.” She was aware she was talking to her like she was younger than Henry, and although they had no idea about how old Emma was now, Regina was fairly certain she was a fair bit younger than Henry.

“When mommy, mama, and daddy were talking to me, they said they think that the curse tried to make me a baby again, to give us a second chance. But my magic stopped it from happening, the wardrobe made inside my head stay little before the curse broke, but the curse breaking made it even littler. If my magic hadn’t done that my mommy, daddy, and mama could have had another chance with a baby. I fucked it all up.”

Regina couldn’t help herself as she pulled Emma into a big hug. She wasn’t a huggy person in general, which wasn’t surprising having grown up with her mother, Henry had been the exception to the rule (and Snow in the past when needed) she wondered if Emma was going to become another exception. “You did not _mess_ anything up,” she wasn’t about to pick up on Emma’s swearing at that moment, “for starters you had absolutely no control over what happened, and secondly your parents would never blame you for that, in fact I think that your parents are extremely happy that that didn’t happen and that you’re still you. They love you more than anything or anyone else in the entire universe, they wouldn’t have wanted to lose this version of you to get a do over, they couldn’t care how old you are as long as they have you and you’re _you_.” As she spoke she rubbed Emma’s back maternally.

“Even though I act like a kid now?” Emma squeaked, she didn’t move from Regina’s arms, she hadn’t seen Regina doing a lot of hugging in the storybook (except when her mom was little and she met teenage Regina), but Emma thought she was pretty good at it.

Regina let out a puff of laughter. “You acted a lot like a child with Mary Margaret during the curse, if my memory serves me right, now you’re just a little bit younger than that, and this time you know it’s safe for you to be able to act like that, you can act like a five year old if you want, you have _three_ parents to fuss over you and an entire extended family. Your parents adore you, they would have been heartbroken if you had changed, and I’m glad you didn’t change too.”

Emma was quiet for a moment. “Okay.” It was going to take a little longer for her to fully get her head around being younger than she had been a few months previously, but Regina had managed to successfully make her realise that her parents didn’t resent her for not fully deaging, and that they adored her no matter what so she shouldn’t be ashamed of being herself. “Can I show you my room before we go downstairs?”

Regina smiled down at her, she hadn’t been in Emma’s room before and was slightly envious of Emma’s hanging glass egg chair with all of its cushions and blankets inside, there seemed to be a bit of everything inside of Emma’s room, the wardrobe was a little bit open and she could see all of her clothes inside. “I’d love to be shown around before we go and talk to your parents.”

 

* * *

 

Once they got downstairs Regina led Emma towards the living room, David was pacing around the living room (a recent development as Emma was showing Regina her room) while Snow and Ruby were sat together on the big corner couch. Emma ran over to squeeze between her mothers who both cuddled her in their arms and held her tight, Regina quickly took hold David’s arm and led him to the kitchen to quickly talk to him. Emma felt her face being showered in little kisses from her mothers.

“Did you listen to us talking, mama?” Emma asked before either of her mothers could say a word, but she didn’t really mind at all, if anything it made it easier not having to explain it again.

Ruby nodded with an apologetic grimace. “Sorry pup, it’s the full moon tomorrow, I can’t really control my hearing and sight at the moment.”

Emma snuggled closer to her in a similar way a wolf cub would to her mama. “’S’okay.” she told her honestly. “Love you mama.”

Ruby nuzzled her face against Emma’s. “I love you more than the moon and stars, my little puppy.”

“Baby, we’re so glad that you’re not a… well an _actual_ baby. We wouldn’t change you for the world.” Snow promised kissing her cheek, Emma leant into her touch, and she could tell that her daughter believed her. “I wouldn’t be able to survive if I didn’t have my sweet, sarcastic, sassy, beautiful, kind, little troublemaker.”

Emma was surprised to find she wasn’t even blushing at that. “Grandma said I got being a troublemaker from you.”

“Grandma’s right.” David told her as he walked, in with Regina at his side, having finished their conversation about James.

“You’re not allowed to call me that.”

“Emma just did!” David protested, he and Regina had the same banter they had had for years, he knew Regina cared about him really just as he did her.

“I’m _her grandma_ ,” she was beginning to like the sound of that title it was a bit like mother but without all of the pressure or responsibility, “not yours, _Charming_.”

“I don’t think _your grandma_ likes me as much as she likes mama.” David told Emma in a stage whisper, having found a loophole, he picked Emma up into his arms and kissed the side of her face and held her tight to his chest for a moment. “I love you so much, kiddo, please never ever forget that.” He whispered to her.

“I think we promised you a lazy movie day, right?” Ruby said stroking her cheek as David kept their daughter cuddled up on his lap.

“Yeah!” Emma grinned. “I wanna watch Hercules.” She decided, she didn’t see Ruby and David pulling a look at the mention of Snow’s first love, nor did she see Snow’s smile at making her spouses retrospectively jealous, but she did notice Regina barely restraining a whole out beam. “Do you want to stay and watch it with us? Daddy knows how make awesome popcorn.”

“I would love to,” she told Emma and she wasn’t lying, “but I have to get back to my boys.”

Snow smiled, at least Regina had found Robin under the curse, and she was now an amazing mother to both Henry and Roland. “Why don’t we have a meal together at the weekend? The kids can all play and all of us adults can just catch up.”

“That sounds like fun.” She admitted looking from Emma to Snow. “But if you try and interrogate Robin, I swear Snow White I will not be happy.” She gave her a stern look, before waving to Emma and her son and daughter in law before heading to the door.

Snow plastered on an innocent look as she followed Regina. “I would never do that!”

“I think mommy’s going to end up in a time out when we go to grandma’s.” David smirked.

Emma giggled at the mental image, but still tried to defend her mother, if only a little. “Only if she interrogates him.”

“Oh mommy will.” Ruby said with a knowing smile. “She can’t help herself.”

 

* * *

 

Emma spent the rest of the day snuggled up with her parents in their cosy living room, watching animated movies, most of the time she stayed cuddled up on one of her parents laps. They ate David’s grilled cheeses for lunch, Snow’s amazing mac and cheese for dinner, and Ruby had even managed to make all of their favourite flavoured milkshakes for them in the afternoon.

 It was only when Emma was cuddled up in their bed, just before falling asleep, that she realised that her parents had been treating her like they would a child, not only that – she found that she didn’t mind at all, because they hadn’t changed how they were treating her, they had always been treating her like a child only now she understood for the first time why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for any reviews! Please let me know if there's anything you want to see in the future either on here or through my Tumblr - loboselinafanfiction (or my main loboselinaistrash)


	9. Easter: New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the Charmings are up to on their 4 day Easter weekend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, I was away in the countryside over Easter, and my fibromyalgia's been making it hard to concentrate on writing, but I hope you all enjoy this!

 

Easter was the first holiday that the Charming’s family would be uncursed, David only worked half time anyway but he had made sure that Graham or someone else would be on call for the entire bank holiday, school was out for the entire holiday, and Ruby had made sure that there was enough waitresses and cooks that she could have the holiday off as could Granny. They were all overjoyed that they could spend the time with Emma had spent the last week getting used to being treated more like a child, now that they were certain it wasn’t just them who thought of her like a child, but she _was_ in fact a child. They didn’t care how old she was, she was their child, and they loved her regardless. It did, however, break their hearts that she didn’t allow herself to just be young and that she still felt like she had to hide even looking at toys – she had eventually let her parents get her some comic book action figures as well, some colouring books and craft things, Regina and Robin had also gifted Emma a child’s tablet (they claimed that it was Roland’s old one but Ruby had pointed out that it smelt brand new) they loaded on some movies, kid friendly games, and audiobooks for Emma to listen to when they weren’t able to read to her.

Something that her parents didn’t know, however, was that Emma had never actually celebrated Easter – there was maybe once or twice when she had been in nicer group homes when they’d give her a small Easter egg. She had been dragged to church more than once, often by people who were never kind enough to be able to legitimately class themselves as any kind of honestly religious person, a few times she had been dragged there with her injuries still bleeding. Easter had just never been a _thing_ for her. But she was happy to have all three of her parents to herself (or sharing with the rest of her extended family) for four whole days – no emergencies or anyone to disrupt them.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Palm Friday _ **

“Emmy, hold my hand please,” David told her as he let her out of the back of the car, Snow and Ruby had gone ahead to help set up a couple of things, he took hold of Emma’s hand, “there’s lots of other little and bigger kids here, I don’t want you to get lost.”

Emma wanted to whine or complain, but the park where the Easter events were being held      did sound loud, she felt a nervous tug in her stomach which only seemed to be soothed when she clutched hold of her father’s hand. “You could get lost too.” Emma told him.

David smiled down at her. “You’re right I could, but you know what? If any of us ever got lost we’d found them, you’re Emma Ruth Charming, and Charmings _always_ find each other.”

Emma knew it sounded a little sappy, but that didn’t stop her from smiling wholeheartedly at him, she knew her parents wouldn’t lose her again but it was always nice to hear, plus she couldn’t help but to smile every single time she heard her parents refer to her as ‘Emma Charming’, she had never belonged to anyone in that way before. “Always.” Emma said, as a promise, looking up at him with a grin matching the one he was wearing.

“Good girl.” He watched her smile get a little brighter. “Now, let’s go find your mommies, then we can start to play and do some of this stuff.”

 

* * *

 

 

As they wandered they spotted all of the activities going on, there were little stalls set up all around with activities, items to buy, and a whole area dedicated to buying food. They also saw Regina wandering with a clipboard clutched in her hands, she had been determined to make this Easter Friday event bigger and better than the one Blue ran, and so far she was exceeding. When she saw David she looked as though she were about to try and rope him into helping some event, but when she spotted Emma she just gently smiled and let him be, David decided to start taking Emma everywhere with him all of the time to avoid Regina being mean or bossy to him.

“What are they doing?”

David followed Emma’s gaze to the area cordoned off by cones where some preteens and teenagers were playing soccer, mini football games, obstacle courses among other things. “That’s a little sports Olympics, for the big kids, they’re trying to win a trophy.”

“That’s cool!”

David frowned, several kids were covered in mud, cuts, and bruises from falling, he watched two kids playing soccer crash into each other and bump heads. “Sorry kiddo, that’s for big kids, maybe in a few years.” He knew in his head and his heart it would be more than just a few years but she was already pouting as it was. He caught sight of the dress Snow had been wearing that morning as it ducked behind a wall, probably hiding from Regina, and smiled in relief. “Come on kiddo, I think your mommies are hiding from Grandma, but I’m sure I can use my Charming prince powers to find them.”

Emma’s pout disappeared, and the argument she was forming in her head disappeared from her head, she grinned. “Can I help.”

“I’d be honoured.” He said dramatically. He pretended to use his ‘power’ as they quickly found Ruby and Snow.

 

* * *

 

 

They made their way around the place as a family, trying to time before the Easter egg hunt, they spotted a painting thing and thought that Emma might like to try it, plus it would distract her from the sports events. When they got closer they saw what it was – a clay painting place, there was a large variety of different money boxes, statues, and tea light holders on variety including several Easter items.

“Hi.” The man running the booth smiled enthusiastically at Ruby, Snow, David, and Emma. “Would you like to paint an item?”

“What do you think baby?” Snow asked Emma with an encouraging smile. “Which would you like to paint.”

“There’s little eggs, bunnies, chickies,” Ruby listed talking to her the same she would a small child for the first time in front of a stranger, “there’s a big egg, little Easter baskets you can use as flowerpots, a big egg.”

“The big egg is also a tea light holder.” The man told them, he saw nothing odd about Emma being a child, not at all.

David bent his knees so he’d be on Emma’s level. “What do you think princess? We know how much you love doing arty things and how good you are at doing them. Which one do you want to paint?”

Emma slowly pointed at the table behind the Easter themed ones. “I like the castle… is it like your one?”

David grinned and kissed the top of her head. “It does look a bit like our old home but I’m sure that you can make it even prettier than ours was.” He asked the man if they could get that one for Emma, and he and his wives all chose a big Easter tea light holder each.

“Three tea light eggs and one castle moneybox, you have to make sure that they’re soaked with water, then you paint them giving them three coats of paint.” He gestured at the tables with all of the paints and pots of water, and various sizes of paintbrushes. “That way the paint will be the right colour and shiny. There’s also some pallets to mix colours if you like. You can pick them up from my studio tomorrow after they’ve been in the kiln.” He added the last bit mostly for the adults.

As they sat down the sun started to come out and Emma started to relax letting herself act more natural instead of all shy. The paint looked pastel but they could see on the examples how it would look after going into the kiln, Emma’s tongue poked out of her mouth as she concentrated, after David had finished painting his own egg he helped Emma who wanted to add details to her egg. David was a natural artist, his wives already knew that, they had often posed for him to paint sketches of them (often clothed sometimes not) or would find candid sketches they hadn’t realised he had made, or doodles of items or sketches when he was board in meetings. Emma had clearly inherited her father’s skill, though her castle clearly looked like it was painted by a child they thought that it looked as though it were painted by a ten year old, not the four or five year old they were fairly certain she was. Although Snow and Ruby’s eggs were fairly simple, especially compared with David’s detailed looking one, they were overjoyed to watch David and Emma being adorable together and took plenty of photos of the two of them.

 

* * *

 

When they eventually finished up they grabbed some food from Granny’s food stall, after purchasing some Easter things like a fluffy white bunny headband which Emma and her parents were currently wearing (and another she had wanted her dad to wear) they found a face painting stall.

Regina walked up to them as Emma was having a bunny face painted onto her face. She raised an eyebrow in amusement at David wearing the bunny headband but it was rather endearing, she stroked a hand down Emma’s hair.

“Please tell me you don’t need us to help.” Snow held her breath.

Regina rolled her eyes. “Hmm, I didn’t see you too much when you were helping earlier,” her eyes drifted to Ruby’s collar where a hickey was just peeking out, “but _no_ I wasn’t, I was just coming to tell you that the Easter egg hunt will be on in about twenty minutes. One of you can help Emma because she’s little.”

“Daddy needs to get his face painted then he can help me, he’s good at finding.”

David grinned but sat down to have his face painting with a sigh. “What am I having it painted as, kiddo?” He asked with just a touch of fear.

“Bunny.” Emma told him gently touching her own bunny face paint.

David smiled at her and nodded his head, he would do anything for his daughter, he didn’t care how he looked.

“I think maybe you should pay attention to the bushes and flowers rather than the hay bales and logs.” Regina hinted. “I have to go and start it but I’ll catch up with all later.” She looked regretful that she hadn’t been able to just enjoy the day with her stepdaughter’s family, but she had barely been able to catch moments with Henry, Robin, and Roland.

 

* * *

 

 

David helped Emma fill her basket with little chocolate eggs and plastic eggs filled with little treats, mostly from the places Regina had suggested.

 

 

* * *

 

**_ Saturday _ **

“Which one should we go to?” Ruby asked her spouses, pouring Emma’s cereal as they waited for her to get down the stairs, they had planned to go to the farm that day but hadn’t yet decided on which one to go to out of the two having a baby animals day.

Snow looked at the little booklets in front of them as she sipped her small cup of coffee, she leant against David who was more than used to being used as a pillow by all of his girls. “Canty’s farm or,” she gave a little laugh, “McDonald’s farm.”

“I wonder if he’s old.” Ruby quipped.

David gave a snort of laughter before taking a sip of his own coffee. He looked over the two leaflets, the two looked practically the same, he found himself staring at Canty’s farm leaflet and frowning. “Did we know him in the Enchanted Forest?”

Snow and Ruby both looked at the name with a frown. “I don’t think so.” Ruby said.

Snow answered at the same time. “I think it’s from a book, maybe you read it while you were cursed?” She suggested.

“Yeah. Maybe.” David said, though he didn’t think that it was just that. He looked at them again. “Maybe McDonald’s would be better, it’s a bit bigger and there’s a few more animals, even lambs.”

Snow smiled up at him, seeing his face light up at the idea of there being lambs, she knew he had no current intentions of going back to a life of farming but it always seemed to make him feel at home. She couldn’t resist placing her hand on his cheek to turn him to face her. She gave him a gentle kiss before deepening it, it only lasted a few seconds as she heard Emma’s footsteps carefully heading down, she turned to as Emma came down looking  sleepy but dressed.

David picked up the two leaflets and folded up the one for Canty’s farm in his shirt pocket over his chest, and placed the one they’d actually be going to inside of his jeans pocket, one was going to be the surprise trip while the other he’d peruse later and try to figure out why the name was chiming in his head and his heart.

“Why do I have to get dressed today?” Emma whined, she went to walk past the table to flick on the tv but her mother’s arm hooked around her waist, from where she was sat, and saw her mother’s ‘don’t even think about it’ look.

Ruby watched with pride as her daughter sank a little under her wife’s look. “We have some errands to run,” she fibbed, “all of us, which means a certain little girl has to come too. Stop pouting and sit down, pup, cereal’s up.”

Emma managed to do one of the two things as she took a seat next to Snow at the table. “I’m not _that_ little.” She whined as Ruby placed her bowl of cereal in front of her. “I’m big.” She started to pick out the marshmallows to eat first.

“Uh huh.” Ruby said with a smirk and raised eyebrows. “Sure you are pup, you’re a big girl,” she had said the same thing to another tot who had been in the diner the other day, “but big girls listen to their parents.” She tried not to look smug as she knew she had Emma caught.

“Fine.” Emma sighed. “But this is going to be boring.”

All of the adults fought smiles. They knew that the farm wasn’t as big as others outside of their town, but they were still getting Emma comfortable to being able to being herself instead of pretending to be an adult, that being said they were already planning a short vacation looking at where they could go with the best zoo and other day trips Emma would enjoy – they were just figuring out how best to go about making Emma feel as comfortable as possible.

 

* * *

 

Emma was forced to eat her words as they went around McDonald’s farm. McDonald turned out not to be old but in fact young, around Ruby, Snow, and David’s age, and already fed up of the ‘Old McDonald’ joke. She was flittering around with excitement so much that her parents were constantly having to remind her to hold at least one of their hands, though every so often they’d give her a landmark to run up to like a red or blue marking on the fence at which she would stop. She spent the whole time beaming, especially as David explained things about her about the animals or farms in general, or giving her little facts about animals, she hung onto his every word. She was even reluctant to have to stop to eat, but there were animal shaped foods in the café so she managed to sit still long enough for herself and her parents to eat. After eating they continued walking around the farm, and when it was feeding time Emma was among the other Storybrooke children as she fed a lamb from a bottle, with a little extra help from David as she struggled.

 

* * *

 

 

After finishing up in the petting zoo, and triple making sure that she had definitely washed her hands, they led her to the gift shop to buy her a treat for being so good.

Emma started off by looking at the small things, she knew she was allowed one item, but she didn’t want to push for something more expensive and not be allowed anything. Ruby looked over to check on their kid and sighed gently, she nudged David, who bent his head down to listen to her quiet words. “Go give our little one a hand?” She asked as Snow subtly took a lamb and a bunny plushie to the checkout to add to Emma’s Easter gifts.

By the time they were waiting in the queue to buy Emma’s treats, after David had convinced her that it was okay to get items bigger than an erasure, Emma was holding a tub of plastic farm animals, and a pack of toy cars. Ruby had found some books about animals some fictional some non-fiction for their daughter too.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma fell asleep on the way home in the car, clutching tight to her tub of animals and pack of cars, and Snow smiled about their successful outing.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Easter Sunday _ **

Ruby woke up feeling someone wiggling around in their bed. She slowly blinked open her eyes and saw a green pair grinning down at her, a smile spread across her face as she saw that Emma was practically vibrating with excitement, her own smile turned mischievous. “Hey my little puppy.” She cooed, she tended to call Emma puppy a lot, mostly when she was seeming particularly young or emotional. “What are you doing awake so early?”

“Mama.” Emma whined knowing full well that she knew it was Easter.

“What, puppy? Do you need more sleepies?”

“Nooo.” Emma pouted, she felt her father kiss the top of her head as she woke up, and her mother stroking her blond curls despite her eyes barely being open. “It’s time to wake up, it’s Easter.”

David glanced at the clock. “It’s only just gone six kiddo.”

“But… But it’s Easter… we have to go see if the Easter Bunny’s come.” She sat looking down at her parents sending the three of her parents a puppy dog look, she may not have cared about the holiday before, but over the past few days she had become excited over it because of her parents excitement. She tried to climb out of the bed but Ruby wrapped her arm around Emma’s waist and pulled her close to her. “Mama.” She whined again pouting as Snow and David both chuckled.

Ruby kissed her cheek and squeezed her tight. “Okay, okay, my little baby pouty puppy. Let’s all get up then and see if the Easter bunny left you a treat.”

David led the way down the stairs so Emma would be shielded from the view and kept in suspense for just a little longer.

“They came!” Emma exclaimed jumping the last three steps of the stairs and dashing past David to the table where there were gifts from ‘the Easter bunny’.

One the table was : A milk chocolate egg with fudge in the shell and her name on the front, a white chocolate bunny, there were a few brightly coloured plastic eggs which her parents had filled with different types of her favourite candy, there was a new unicorn themed mug for her hot chocolate which had an egg and unicorn shaped marshmallows, also on the table were the lamb and bunny plushies Snow had found for her at the farm the previous day. They had gotten her a couple of Lego and Playmobile Easter sets to start to build up her toy collection. Her parents had made big bunny shaped paw prints on the floor near the door, and on the table were a pile of jelly beans, Emma had watched Hop with her parents the other day and giggled when she saw the piles assuming it was the rabbit.

“The Easter Bunny really came?” Emma asked looking at her parents with joy.

“Of course,” Ruby told her wrapping an arm around her she kissed the top of Emma’s untameable curls, “you’ve been such a good girl, the Easter Bunny must have seen and knew you deserved a treat.”

David watched Emma’s face light up and he ducked his head to kiss Snow gently on the lips, he was overjoyed that Emma wasn’t protesting that she was good, he knew his wives were too. He walked over to Emma, having finished his kiss with Snow, and ruffled her hair. “Let’s get a closer look at your eggs, kiddo.”

“There’s toys too!” Emma realised excited, she grabbed David’s hand and dragged him closer to the table to examine the things which had been left, David happily let himself be dragged over and took a seat to be more on Emma’s eye level.

Snow’s arms snaked around Ruby’s waist and rested her head on her shoulder, Ruby’s head led against the top of Snow’s and moments later Ruby kissed her temple as they watched their husband and child. “We made an amazing baby.” Snow said quietly.

“She’s breath taking.” Ruby agreed, her voice was full of awe as she watched David showing Emma the unicorn mug Ruby had chosen, and she bounced up and down begging for a hot chocolate in it with her breakfast. “She’s been happier this week. I know she was fairly happy before, and she’s struggling to come to terms with being a little kid – but that’s expected it’s only been a week- but this week she’s just let herself relax and enjoy it.”

“She has, she’s not had to worry about anything which probably helped, I think it helped us too. Maybe now the curse broke and we’re sure George is going to stay away we’ll be able to relax and focus on each other and not have stressful lives.” Snow wasn’t sure that she’s get what they all wanted and needed, but at the present moment in time she was hopeful, things were currently on the upside. She leant up and kissed Ruby gently on the lips. “Happy Easter babe.”

“Happy Easter Frosty.” Ruby said, her lips against her wife’s, she kissed her again. They became suddenly aware of their daughter tugging on both of their t-shirts. “Hey pup, what’s up?”

“Daddy said I had to ask if I can eat my chocolate.”

“How about you have some cereal first.” Snow smiled, letting go of Ruby, and trying to push some curls behind Emma’s ear so they weren’t in her eyes.

“I’ll sort that out.” David said with an excited smile, but instead of heading straight to the kitchen he walked over to Ruby, finally able to kiss her good morning. “Happy Easter, Rubes.”

Ruby smiled against his kiss, she always loved him calling her Rubes, she always loved being kissed by him (and Snow) for that matter. “Happy Easter, my Charming.”

“Can you two help me do the building?” Emma asked, meaning her Lego, leading Snow over and expecting Ruby to follow. “Daddy can’t do it.”

“Daddy can do it!” David protested. “Honestly!” He said with playful exasperation. “No faith.”

“You couldn’t open the boxes.” Emma shot back, the ‘seriously’ look on her face was one she had clearly got from Ruby.

Ruby placed her hand on David’s chest comfortingly. “Aw, looks like you’re on breakfast duty for our baby, my building skills are required.”

David rolled his eyes and stole another kiss from her lips. “For that I’m making you coffee not tea.” He teased, Ruby very rarely drank coffee, he also knew that it was way too early for himself and his spouses to eat.

Ruby and Snow helped Emma build with her Lego sets, knowing she needed help with the instructions and getting the bits to go together properly, and David fixed Emma breakfast.

He placed half an Easter egg inside of a bowl, and filled it with three different types of chocolate cereal, the milk was actually white chocolate milkshake which they had dyed pale blue to make a touch more magical, and topped with mini eggs.

“Woah!” Emma shouted, way too loud for 6:30am, when it was placed in front her of.

“I think that the Easter Bunny might have done something to our milk.” David told her looking suspicious, when she tried it and told him it tasted like chocolate he pretended to look surprised. “That’s so cool!” He took a long sip of coffee, already knowing that they’d all be tired that day.

“I think we’ll have to watch some movies today,” Snow said thinking the same thing, “you’ll have to pick your favourite Easter one to take to Grandma’s tomorrow which we can all watch.”

“That is the _best_ idea.” Ruby said, coffee didn’t really affect her if anything it just made her sleepy but right now she wished it would work, at least cuddled up watching movies with them would force Emma to nap before and after their Easter lunch.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Easter Monday _ **

Regina held a second Easter lunch for her extended family on the Easter Monday.

Emma whined as Snow insisted on her having to wear something other than her pyjamas and one of David’s old shirts, instead she put her in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt white t-shirt with a bunny rabbit on it, David slipped on his red flannel (one which Ruby was prone to stealing) and Ruby grabbed her rabbit ears headband they had got at the Easter park event.

Emma was looking at her lamb and bunny she had gotten from the ‘Easter Bunny’ the day before when she felt Snow wrap her arm around her shoulders and Emma leant back against them. She kissed the top of Emma’s head. “Let’s grab a backpack, hey? Let’s put your lamb and bunny in, or you can put your teddies in?”

“Teddies can stay safe here.” Emma said worried about possible leaving them somewhere.

“Teddies can guard the loft.” David called back to reassure her as he raced up the stairs to grab Emma’s backpack.

Once he was back down Emma placed her bunny into her bag along with a hoodie in case she got cold, her new sets of Lego and Playmobile, and The Rise of the Guardians dvd (the winner of their movie marathon the day before), she pouted when David stopped her from putting in her new mug too.

 

* * *

 

Emma stayed pretty much attached to her parents side for at least two hours when they got to Regina, only moving a little away from Ruby and David to give the Easter gifts to Regina, Robin, Roland, and Henry. She blushed as she received Easter eggs, a large chick plushie from Roland, and an Easter egg along with an Easter themed picture book which Henry proudly announced he had chosen.

 

* * *

 

By the time they were sat at the dining table to eat Emma was feeling a lot more confident to speak and was even starting to act like the more childish version of herself, she unsuccessfully tried to get out of eating as many vegetables as possible, Henry watched in amusement as Emma tried to bargain with Regina (he was slightly surprised that Emma could get away with doing that but he guessed it was because she was Regina’s granddaughter not child).

 

* * *

 

 

The house was full of laughter and talking when the adults put on the dvd the Charmings had brought. Emma curled up on her father’s lap watching it sleepily with her teddies she had amounted over the Easter cuddled securely in her arms, on one side of her Ruby rubbed her back, while on the other Snow stroked her hair. Roland was also starting to get sleepy and was cuddled up to his father with his toy monkey cuddled in his arms, Henry was finally coming down off the sugar high from David and Robin having snuck him a lot of chocolate and candy and was tucked between Roland and Regina, despite claiming he was much too old for cuddles, he was 12, unlike the little kids.

 

* * *

 

 

When the doorbell rang Regina was the one who stood up and left the room to answer it, but when she was gone longer than ten minutes David couldn’t resist going to find out if his mother in law or someone else needed any help. He gently moved Emma and walked out of the room.

 

* * *

 

 

“You said that you could help me, if what you thought was true is well, true.” The man was blocked from view by Regina, but she watched as rubbed the back of his neck nervously and toyed with his car keys in his hand. “And judging from the look on your face it is true.”

“You share your brother’s brains.” She was shocked to see him on her doorstep, there, and _now_ , but she was still the queen of sass.

“Perhaps I should introduce myself, I know you’re aware of who I am, but it just feels weird not doing so. Hello, my name since I died had been Thomas Canty, I run a farm on the outskirts, but my real name is-“

“-James.” David looked dumbstruck as he finished his twin’s sentence. He looked from James to Regina and saw that James in fact being there (and by there he meant alive) wasn’t a surprise to her in the slightest, George and Emma had been right. But Regina had promised to include him in finding his brother. He had no idea what to feel. He was fairly sure the only feeling he had right now was shock.

“Daddy?” Emma asked quietly as she poked around the doorway.

“ Emma, baby,” David called back, his eyes didn’t leave his twin, he was terrified he was about to disappear, “go back and watch the movie with your mommies. Daddy has to talk to Grandma.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will forever be in denial about James being dead, just saying.   
> Not sure if anyone got the little Easter egg (*drum noises*) but Tom Canty was (according to google) a character in The Prince and the Pauper


	10. Uncle Jamie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set at the same time as the Easter chapter, mostly David centred, trying to get back into this verse so send me a prompt!

_ “Daddy?” Emma asked quietly as she poked around the doorway. _

_ “ Emma, baby,” David called back, his eyes didn’t leave his twin, he was terrified he was about to disappear, “go back and watch the movie with your mommies. Daddy has to talk to Grandma.” _

* * *

 

Emma, of course, didn’t listen to her father instead she just moved closer to David, she heard the change in David’s voice and wanted to see that he was okay. It was only then that she saw James in the front doorway, she gasped then beamed. “You’re really here! I knew you were alive!” She said happily moving towards James and Regina but was suddenly pulled into David’s side she looked up at him in confusion. 

David’s eyes finally left James and settled on Regina. “You told me that you would let me know when you were starting to look for him.” His voice was as cold as ice as his shocked manifested as anger. “Did you ever think that I had a plan? That I knew I would be able to find out about him without him putting my kid at risk?” 

“You’re overreacting.” Regina said. “I made sure that he wouldn’t-”

At the same time James chimed in. “That’s not quite fair David, I am not putting anyone at risk, I’m just here.”

Ruby, Snow, and Robin had heard the commotion in the hallway and left Henry and Roland to see what was going on. 

David scoffed at the pair of them. “I’m not.” He said addressing Regina. “You just couldn’t resist doing this! You have to control every little pissing thing! I didn’t want him just turning up like this. You think I don’t know all of the shit he got up to?” He hissed at the two of them, his hands automatically moved to cover Emma’s ears so she couldn’t hear him, he didn’t move them even as she tugged at them. ”I lived his life, he was not a good person, he was selfish and cruel and thoughtless, I wanted to research him, talk to him on my own without my wives and kid getting involved.”

“David, go take a breather.” Snow tried to tell him wanting him to calm him down while Ruby tried to get Emma to go to her but the kid and David refused.

“I’ve changed.” James protested looking ashamed that he could not protest what David was saying about his past. 

“So  _ you  _ say. I wanted to judge that by myself. Hell, for all I know you could be still pals with George, working for your daddy, trying to steal my kid for him - like he tried to do a couple of weeks ago!”

“You lived my life, you took it over, you know that there’s no way I’d do anything with George, if he treated you like he did me you’d know that.” James protested sounding more certain. He finally looked at the child in front of David, she seemed to have curled closer to David with all of the arguing despite most of it coming from David. She looked young, and scared, cold ran down his back at the thought of George treating her like he had him. David’s kid… his niece. “I’m sorry for shocking you, but please know that I would never let him near a child. I was-... I wouldn’t let him near your child.”

“How the hell am I meant to trust you?!” David erupted bubbling with emotions. “You’re just a stranger with my face, not my brother, you’re not family.” His voice dropped and he looked at Regina, deeply hurt. “Why couldn’t you have just talked to me? We’re supposed to be family, I know I don’t mean a lot to you, but I at least thought that you trusted that I can look after my family and would put them first.”

For once Regina didn’t have a snappy retort. “I was just trying to help. I… I’m sorry, David.“

David just shook his head.

“I should go.” James said.

“Yeah,  _ you should _ .” David said. 

“Dave,” James sighed, “I’m sorry, I… I thought that you wanted to know me, I didn’t mean to put you in this position. If you change your mind-”

“I won’t.” David stared his twin down until his twin just nodded and walked out of the house and got into his own car and drove away.  David hugged his daughter closer to him, he looked at Snow and Ruby avoiding looking at his stepmother-in-law. “It’s late we should get home too.”

Snow looked between her husband and her stepmother, she knew her husband was right, and her stepmother had been trying to do something nice, but David already had a strained relationship with James when he thought that his twin was dead, having him alive and suddenly sprung on him was way too much. “We should.” She said.

Ruby was one step ahead of them and was already packing up the things for them to take home, Robin was helping her, both clearly feeling awkward with the tension between David and Regina in the air. 

“I’m going to walk it.” David told Ruby and Snow. “I just… I need some air.”

“I’m going with you.” Emma said very quickly. 

“Pup, you’re clearly too tired to walk, come for a ride in the car with me and mommy.” Ruby gently persuaded. “I’ll make you a hot chocolate in bed, okay?”

Emma shook her head. “I wanna go with Daddy.” She looked up at him wide eyed and begging. 

David shook his head and looked down at her about to tell her that he would see her at home, but he suddenly saw the fear in her eyes and he realised that she thought he was going to do a runner because he was upset. He placed his hand on the top of her head and looked at his wives. “I’ll bring her home, I promise.” He saw the concern in his wives’ eyes, not for their daughter or his safety, and they knew that he wasn’t about to run off with Emma or on his own, they were just concerned for his feelings- he had gone from only having them as his family to having a brother he thought had died back alive. He silently told them that he wasn’t okay but he could hold it all together until Emma was in bed asleep. 

“David-” Regina tried. 

David shook his head. “No. Just… Just  _ don’t _ .” He said trying not to have a go at her for interfering again, and for shutting him out of his  _ own _ family matters, or to say something much worse. “Come on Emmy. Snow, Rubes, we’ll see you at home.” He promised, helping Emma up onto his back quickly before leaving the house.

 

* * *

  
  
  


“Seriously Regina?” Snow demanded sounding very much like Emma. 

Regina looked offended. “Well, excuse me if I wanted to make sure that  _ my _ family is safe and that my son-in-law’s twin isn’t still a murdering dick!” 

“That’s what David was trying to do!” Snow threw her hands up into the air in frustration. “You really think that he would let James be a part of our family if he was dangerous? That he would let someone like that around Ruby, or Emma, or me?”

“Oh please, you hero types don’t give up on people, I should know. David’s one of the worst, I’m surprised he doesn’t adopt ever stray dog he sees!” 

“I swear if you’re trying to make a dog joke about me at a time like this-.” Ruby threatened though she wasn’t sure what she would actually do if Regina made one. Like Snow she just wanted to run after David and hold him until he felt better. 

“You messed up.” Snow said sadly. “David  _ needed _ to know the second you found him, he needed to prepare, to be able to check James out himself. His relationship with James even when he was dead, once he found out what he had done when he was the Prince, it was very complicated…”

“I’m half surprised that David didn’t punch him when he saw him.” Ruby added, she remembered David’s face everytime someone cowered in fear thinking that he was the spoilt prince, and didn’t know that David had simply switched places with him. 

“Can’t say I blame him.” Robin chimed in, Roland and Henry had both come out of the living room looking a little nervous at all of the shouting, he placed his hands on Roland’s shoulder. “I spent some time in George’s kingdom as a lad, I only heard some of the things Prince James did, he and David are very different people.” He saw the look Regina was giving him. “I, obviously I mean that Regina didn’t mean any harm.” 

Ruby shrugged her shoulders as though to say that although Regina hadn’t meant it, harm had still been caused, she looked at Snow then at Regina, both seemed to be avoiding each others eyes, she coughed awkwardly. “We should be getting home.” She told Robin who was looking just as awkward as she felt. Together they all helped Snow and Ruby gather the Easter presents. “We’ll speak to you soon.” She looked at Snow who was still refusing to look at Regina as she said goodbye to Roland and Henry, “ _ Won’t we, Snow _ ?”

Snow shrugged her shoulders but felt her wife’s eyes boring into her and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders while saying it, she just felt stuck between her mother-in-law and her husband, she looked over at Ruby and knew that she got her straight away she took hold of her hand. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


David had been walking for a while, stuck in his own head, but realised that Emma hadn’t spoken in a while. He obviously couldn’t see her because of the piggieback so he spoke gently instead. “You still awake, baby?” 

“Yeah.” Emma said quietly. 

David frowned, she was clearly tired, but she hadn’t gotten just tired like this in a while. He hated that he was part of the cause. “Y’know I was a lot bigger than you when I went to live with George.” He said conversationally. 

“Really?” Emma was normally pretty eager to hear more stories about her family, especially her parents. “But I thought he adopted you?” She frowned. 

“It was a little bit different in the Enchanted Forest, kiddo,” he told her gently, “and when James…” He frowned as he paused where he would normally say that James had died, because he most definitely had not. “When James couldn’t fight the dragon your daddy did, and George adopted me. George wasn’t very nice to me or to James, but then when James got bigger he wasn’t very good at all, he did some bad stuff he definitely shouldn’t have.”

“I don’t like George, he’s scary.” Emma admitted quietly, she hadn’t heard from or about him since David had punched him in the park, her dad had been angry then too. “Do you hate James and Grandma now, like you hate George?” 

David paused just as long as Emma had. “I’m sorry that you heard me shouting at James and Grandma, I shouldn’t have done that, especially where you could hear.” He waited for her to say something but realised that she was waiting for her own answer. “I… I don’t hate Grandma… And I don’t hate your uncle, I was just scared and shocked, but I- I don’t hate them.” He was a little surprised by his own words if truth be told. 

“James is my uncle?”

David did a double take. “I…” He sighed. “I guess he is.” He hadn’t meant to say it but he supposed it was what he had hoped for when he had promised Emma he would look for James. He and his wives were all orphans, he had wanted Emma to have more family than they had, if James was genuinely good and wanted to be part of their family then who was he to deny Emma all of the family she deserved. He waited for a few moments before realising that she had fallen asleep.

When they got home he, Snow, and Ruby changed Emma and tucked her into her own bed so they could go to theirs and talk honestly and openly without waking their child up.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


David yawned and poured himself another mug of coffee as they ate their breakfast the next morning, he, Ruby, and Snow had spent most of the night talking, but he was the last to fall asleep. 

“I think Daddy will be having nap time with you today, sweetie.” Snow giggled wiping Emma’s mouth as Ruby ran her hand through David’s hair.

Emma frowned slurping down some of the chocolate milk from her Coco-Pops. “I don’t have nap time.”

Ruby bit back a smile as she looked at her husband and her wife, Emma seemed to be refusing to believe that taking a nap once or twice a day was the same as having a nap time, though that shouldn’t be surprising considering how stubborn she was. She watched as Snow and David both tried not to smile or laugh too. “Sure you don’t pup.” She reached across the table and ruffled her hair making Emma pout. Ruby stood up to collect their breakfast dishes at the same time as Snow. “Definitely two people napping.” She said quietly to her making Snow stifle a giggle. 

“Daddy,” Emma whispered to get his attention, “can I have some of my Easter egg chocolate?”

“Pup, me and Mommy can still hear you when you whisper to get something from Daddy.” Ruby called over but her voice made it clear she wasn’t too bothered. 

“You’ve just had breakfast, Em, anyway you and I need to go on a super secret mission, then we’re meeting up with Mommy and Mama to run some errands.”

“A super secret mission?” Emma’s back straightened as she perked up. 

“Yup.” David grinned at her enthusiasm then drained his mug, getting both Emma and himself ready to go out. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Emma kept badgering him to tell her where they were going the entire time they drove but David refused to tell her. Soon they pulled into a parking space at the lot for Canty’s Farm. David led Emma to the main house, realising she still had no idea, but he knew she wouldn’t care as soon as she found out. 

James opened the door, when he came face to face with his mirror image he looked completely shocked, he briefly looked down at the kid at David’s side but then looked back at his twin. “David, you- you’re here!”

David shrugged his shoulders. “Regina wouldn’t have let you into the house or anything if you had been dangerous. But I need to know that you’re serious about this, being- being family, you can’t just decide to be around when it suits you.”

“I’m sticking around.” James said quickly. “I’m sorry that you had to know who I was, not who I am, I’m so different now, I swear.”

David stared him in the face, he saw how earnest he was, he nodded his head and felt Emma tugging at his hand in boredom. He had told her to hold the hand as he was worried about her wandering off. “This is my kid, your niece, she’s called Emma.”

Emma twisted in so she was hidden a little against David, suddenly feeling shy. “Hi Uncle Jamie.” 

James looked down in shock, he knew that David had a kid, he kept away from the main part of town as much as he could but he knew about David and his family being there. But Emma seemed to accept him straight away, he had a niece, that was so weird. 

“Hey there kid.” He grinned, he glanced up at David for a half second and saw his brother looking protective and a little fearful as though expecting James to say something about how Emma seemed too young for how old she looked, but James didn’t care, if there was an explanation hopefully his twin would explain, if not he was chill anyway. “D’you wanna see my farm?” He offered before frantically adding. “If it’s okay with your Daddy, of course.”

“Yeah!” Emma said so eagerly she almost shouted. “Daddy, please.” 

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” 

James gave Emma some feed and let her feed some of the goats and sheep, as she did the twins spoke, both giving explanations.

David explained why Emma acted how she did, and James explained that he had really died, but he had become a sheriff like figure in the Underworld, he had changed for the better and had been given a second chance by the Gods. When he was back alive he watched Snow, Ruby, and David take control of the kingdom, and be a force for good, while James tried to be good too with his new village where he had a farm. When the curse was set he was Thomas Canty, an isolated farmer, and when it broke he continued but made it a place for people to visit on days out too, with a cafe and a gift shop. James kept apologising that he had been so bad before he had died, but they knew there was nothing either of them could do about that, they could only look to the future. As a family. 

  
  



	11. Overtired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An overtired Emma fights going to sleep.

Ruby sat on the couch with her arm wrapped around her wife, cuddled up to her as she watched Emma and David playing on ground, the only other noise was the sound of some romcom Snow had insisted on watching playing on the tv. This was her home, and with the loft newly decorated, and Emma slowly starting to feel more comfortable in herself (and home was clearly where she felt the most comfortable) it had never felt more like home to Ruby. She dipped her head down, nuzzling her face against Snow’s who turned her head and kissed her, a tender and unrushed kiss, they had done enough rushing in their lives, they no longer had to rush things in their life and it was absolutely perfect. She turned her head back to Emma and David: Emma was playing with her superhero action figures, she had started playing with them very shyly and quietly but David had joined her, Emma was now playing with them enthusiastically and David was wrapped up in it just as much. She was kind of surprised Emma was so wide awake, half an hour ago she was practically falling asleep, but she got a second wind before they could take her up to bed early. 

“Pup,” she called her voice was as loving as can be, “you gotta start clearing up now, two minutes to bedtime.” She watched Emma pull a face though she wasn’t sure if it was before she had to tidy up her things or because she had referred to it as bedtime. 

David smiled at Ruby and Snow, they loved having Emma around them, but they also enjoyed watching movies and tv shows when she wasn’t around, they tried to keep thing appropriate for her age range, which meant none of the crime shows they liked unless Emma was asleep. They both smiled back, sharing the same feelings he did, and the excitement. He looked down at Emma and saw her still playing, just very quietly and slowly, he grinned with amusement when he saw it, he always found it funny that she thought doing things in slow motion would stop people from seeing her do them. “Buddy, we need to put them away like Mama said.” He looked down at everything they had setup then at Emma’s sad little pout. “How about we push them to the side of the room, that way tomorrow when you and I play we’ll be able to go straight back to where we were and defeating the evil villains at the school?” 

Emma frowned, she didn’t want to stop playing, she didn’t want to go to sleep. She looked at Snow and Ruby, then at David, she didn’t think there was a way that she could possibly stay there and play instead of sleeping. “Okay, I guess.” She said with a shrug, she figured it would be the best offer she’d get. With David’s help she pushed the superheros and the cardboard school to the side of the room next to the coffee table. She tried to take as much time as possible but it was hard with David helping her plus there weren’t many toys to clear up.

“Go say night night to Mommy and Mama.” David told her helping her stand up. “It’s my turn to take you up to bed.” There was a smile on his face when he said that, they had started to take it in turns taking her up to bed, it meant they all had one on one time with her, and it fit in well with their schedule while they were trying to get a routine in their house. 

Emma reluctantly let David help her up, she went over to the couch and her mothers, Ruby first who pulled her down into a big hug. “Night Mama.”

Ruby squeezed her tight and pressed a few kisses to her cheek. “Night, pup, I love you so much. I’ll see you in the morning, you gotta pack your backpack in the morning to come to Granny’s with me, okay?” 

Emma nodded her head, she liked going to all of her parents works, but at Granny’s she was probably the most spoilt, by Granny and the waitresses mostly, and she got to sit in her own booth with the tablet Regina and Robin had given to her, as well as her different sketch and colouring books. It was fun. “Okay Mama.” She cuddled her tighter for a few moments. “Can’t I stay up with you guys? I’m not even a little bit tired, not at all.”

“I’m sure that as soon as you lie down you’ll fall asleep, Emmy-Pup.” She pressed a kiss to Emma’s crown. “You need your sleep, you know that, remember?”

Emma frowned and pouted, she knew that her parents had explained to her why she needed more sleep, but that didn’t mean that she had to like it. It was normally fine but tonight she simply wasn’t tired, not even slightly, she debated whining but she figured that wasn’t going to do any good. Emma made a small disgruntled noise, but she felt her mother just hug her firmly and press another kiss against her head, before helping her move along towards Snow. 

“Night night, my baby.” Snow wrapped her arms around her and cuddled her close, pressing their cheeks together as she did so. She ran her hand through her blonde curls before pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her head. “I love you very much.” Her voice was a whisper now. “Make sure you go potty first, okay sweetheart?” She reminded her gently despite knowing that David would remind her, and make sure that she would. She heard her make another whiny noise out of protest for the term. Snow kept her cuddled close to her for a couple of moments, hoping to calm her and get her get at least a little bit sleepier, she didn’t think that it worked. “You get lots of sleep and I’ll see you in the morning, I’ll even see you at lunch time.”

Emma tilted her head to the side, it was unusual to see her mom at lunchtime if Snow was working that day. “But I thought you’ve gotta teach tomorrow?” 

Snow smiled softly at Emma’s now furrowed brow. “I do, but I’m going to come to the diner for lunch to meet with you, mama, and daddy.” She smiled, she’d do it all the time if she could, but often she had to spend time during her lunch break sorting out stuff for her next lesson, luckily every so often she could spare the time she could do it. 

Emma nearly forgot how she was feeling about having to go to bed because of Snow’s surprise, she grinned at Snow in excitement, then at David and Ruby who were both sharing in her excitement and in Snow’s love. “Okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

With Emma mostly distracted by her excitement, David decided that now would be the best time to lead her up to bed. “Big bed with us or your bedroom, kiddo?” David asked when up the stairs.

Emma bit her lip, debating which was best, she was about to say their bed when she remembered that she had the rest of her toys in her room. “My one.”

“Okay, kid.” David placed his hand on her shoulder and led her through the open door to her room, flicking on the light as they entered. “Go potty, kiddo, then I’ll help you wash your face.” He led her to her ensuite to make sure that she actually went. While she was getting sorted David went over to the shelves above her desk, they had began to add some books to it, ones they had thought that she would like, and the ones they had bought at McDonald’s farm the other day. On the desk she had some half drawn pictures and pencils, pens, crayons etc. He smiled when he saw that she had been drawing mostly two things recently: their family, and the same toys the two of them had just been playing with. He knew that she need some more, especially when he stood in her nearly empty room, they wanted to take Emma on another trip to the mall to get her more toys, but they had to wait for Emma to feel comfortable in her own skin, which felt like a constant battle. David picked up the two book he had been looking for and placed them on the bedside table ready for Emma to pick one of them. He moved out of his daughter’s room to his own to get her teddy bear and Toothless teddies and her blanket, making sure that she had her baby blanket, he knew how important that was to her. He looked over and saw her stood in the doorway of the ensuite. “Done?” He watched her nod and gave her a smile. “Okay, let’s get that face washed and those teeth cleaned then I’ll read you a story.” 

Soon Emma was tucked up into bed, her teddies and her blanket were firmly in their normal place, and David was perched on the edge of the bed smiling down at her. “Which book shall we start, Narnia, or Harry Potter?” He held the books up as he spoke and saw her look at them, confused, clearly wondering about where they had appeared from. “Mommy picked these two for us to read to you, she was thinking that you would like them, and we can watch the movies too.” 

Emma’s mouth tugged into a smile, just at the fact that her mom talked about her when she wasn’t there, there was something comforting about that. “Narnia.” She decided. 

“Okay, you close those pretty eyes and I’ll begin.” 

Emma shut her eyes and listened to her father as he started to read her the first chapter, she wasn’t feeling tired but she figured she could pretend to be, that way she could play with her toys instead of sleeping. 

David read the first chapter of the book, his voice getting gradually quieter as he saw that she had definitely fallen asleep. He placed a bookmark inside of the book, and placed it on the bedside table, he turned on the nightlight and turned off the lamp. He pressed a kiss to the top of Emma’s head, and another to Emma’s forehead, before making sure she was properly tucked in. “I love you my kiddo.” He whispered, kissing her forehead again. “Sweet dreams.” He headed out of the room, closing the door behind himself.    
  


 

* * *

 

 

Emma stayed still in her bed with her eyes scrunched shut as she listened to David’s footsteps leave the room and head down the stairs. She then waited a few minutes before opening her eyes again, she looked around her room making sure that she wasn’t about to get caught, then flicked on her bedside lamp. She climbed out of bed and looked around her room again, this time deciding what to play with, it wasn’t like she had many though her parents kept offering to correct that, she was scared at the possibility of people judging her in a toy store. 

She spotted the woven basket of toy cars they had gotten at McDonald’s farm the other week which had found their way up the stairs to her room at some point, probably one of her mothers had decided to put them up there. Emma got them out and started to examine them, they were pretty cool, some were like taxis she had seen on movies, there was an ambulance, and a police car, and other coloured cars, even a yellow bug. Emma started by slowly rolling them around the floor, slowly and self-consciously despite there being no one around, she started to relax, pushing them around, making up stories in her head, and making ramps and obstacles for them on the rug. She was just about to make her cop car fly over the ravine when she heard her mama’s voice getting louder and footsteps starting up the staircase. She quickly darted back into her bed and switched her lamp off, hoping that Ruby wouldn’t check on her. 

Ruby had been on her way to change into her pyjamas while her spouses argued over what to watch, she naturally opened Emma’s door slightly to check on her baby. She saw the nightlight on, projecting dim star shaped lights on the walls and ceiling, and an Emma shaped lump obviously asleep in the bed. She smiled gently at her, and hoped she was having sweet dreams, before gently closing the door. 

Emma kept an ear out, listening to hear whereabouts her mama was, she heard her moving around the master bedroom then heading back out into the hallway, she shut her eyes tight until she heard Ruby’s footsteps heading down the stairs.

 

* * *

 

 

Emma hit the switch on her lamp again and climbed back out of bed. She looked down the cars spread across the rug and bit her lip, she knew she was probably meant to clear those up, but she didn’t want to, and she didn’t want to play with those. She pulled out her box of farmyard animals and started to play with those, adding in the cars when she needed them as part of her fantasy. She was just making the cows be driven to the veterinary clinic when one of the cars slipped through her hands and fell with a bang to the floor. 

 

Snow heard he bang and rushed up to the stairs before her husband or wife could tell her that Emma would be okay. She pounded up the stairs and threw open Emma’s bedroom door. The room was dark other than the light from the nightlight, Emma was in her bed, her head turned so that Snow could just about see it in the light. She sighed in relief, she had really thought that something was wrong with Emma, that she had fallen out of bed, or something of the like. Snow rested her head against the doorway for a moment before forcing herself to shut the door. 

 

* * *

 

 

Back downstairs she saw her spouses and their barely contained worries as they tried to play it cool.

“She’s okay.” She admitted a little sheepishly. She walked back over and settled down on the couch between both her husband and her wife. She gave a small yawn laying her legs back across Ruby while David wrapped his arm around her. “It was probably just a book or something.” 

David frowned, he could have sworn he hadn’t left the book, or any other books, where they could fall. But Emma was fast asleep and he couldn’t think what else it could have been. “Yeah probably.” His fingers tickled Snow’s side as the end of the movie started to play. With his other hand he reached across and started to stroke Ruby’s hair. “I love you two, so much.” He said quietly, he heard them both say it back, though they knew the words weren’t necessary for them.

 

* * *

 

 

By the end of the movie all three of them were all barely awake. 

“We should go up to bed.” Snow said through a big yawn, making the other two groan in protest. “If we stay here all night we’ll regret it in the morning. We’re not as young as we once were.”

“Being in our thirties sucks.” David brushed his hand over his eyes as he stood up, pulling Ruby up alongside him. 

“I groaned out loud when I stood up the other day.” Ruby grumbled. “Emma looked at me like she was scared I was about to move into a retirement village or something.” 

Snow snorted with laughed, leading them up the stairs turning lights off as they went. “She’s a sweet little girl, I’m sure she’d visit you in the retirement village.” 

David chuckled lowly but stopped when they reached the doors upstairs. He had a sudden urge to check on Emma, he debated suppressing the ‘new’ dad feeling, but he knew his wives wouldn’t judge him and he wouldn’t be able to rest until he did. He opened up Emma’s door expecting to be met by the darkness he had left her in. 

Instead Emma’s room was lit by the light of her bedside lamp and her nightlight, and Emma was not in her bed, instead she was sat on the floor surrounded by nearly every toy she owned. In her arms were her teddy and her dragon, which she was playing with them, getting them dressed in the clothes Granny had knitted and crocheted for them. 

David’s mouth fell open, he looked back at Ruby and Snow to see if they were seeing what he was, judging by the fact their mouths were hanging open he wasn’t imagining it. He cleared his throat and she jumped before twisting to look back around at them. “Emma Ruth, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I… I was…” 

“You’re meant to be in bed, Missy.” Ruby crossed her arms over her chest as the three of them entered the room. “You’re meant to be fast asleep, did you just wake up?” 

Snow watched Emma squirm under their gaze. “Emma Ruth Charming have you been awake this whole time?” She saw Emma squirm again. “Emma.” Her voice changed to a warning tone. 

“I’m not tired!” Emma protested, though without her consent her voice came out as a whine, she frowned as she saw her parents looking frustrated and disappointed. “I’m gonna keep playing.” 

“No, you’re not.” Ruby said firmly. “For starters it’s late, and secondly you’re meant to tidy up when you change what you’re playing, and lastly you pretended to be asleep when we checking you and we don’t have a rule against that but you must know that that’s not good.” 

“I’m not tired.” Emma whined again not sure how to protest or get out of the other things. 

David sighed loudly. He, like his wives, knew that Emma had clearly gotten over tired, and they knew that she got whiny and stubborn-er when she was tired. “I think you are.” He said firmly. His hand went to the back of his head and he ruffled the back of his hair, he sighed again, gently this time. “Okay, you’re going to come and sleep in our bed tonight, then tomorrow you’re going to tidy all of this up, and you won’t be getting a sticker on your chart.” 

“I don’t have a sticker chart, I’m not a baby!” Emma pulled a face as she always did when her parents acted like she was a kid which she wasn’t… well she was, that didn’t mean she had to like it. 

“Well, I guess you’re going to get one.” David splayed his arms out in a ‘what are you gonna do’ sort of gesture. 

“But-...Mommy?” Emma pleaded. 

“No Emma, Daddy’s right, I think you need one.” 

“We all agree with each other.” Ruby added when Emma turned her pleading eyes towards her. “Now, come on, big bed with us so we actually know that you’re sleeping, this time.” 

David waited for Emma to stand up and follow Ruby and Snow then he brought up the rear of the group, flicking off the lights as he did. He watched Emma fidgeting as she walked and tried not to groan or sigh, she was overtired to the point of being hyper, and he had a bad feeling about trying to get her to sleep now. 

“Lie down, Pup.” Ruby said directing her to the middle of the bed, she led beside her and tried to settle her down. “Mommy and daddy are just going to get changed into their jammies then they’ll lay down with us, close your eyes.” 

Emma managed to keep her eyes closed for approximately a minute before opening them again. 

David climbed into the bed, beside Emma only a couple of minutes latter, they could hear Snow pottering about the en-suite doing her bedtime routine, he was a little frustrated that Emma had faked sleep but he knew there was no point dwelling on that at the moment. “Come here, kiddo.” He said gently, tugging her into his arms so she was lying in her usual on his chest. “Bed time now, after you tidy up your toys in your room tomorrow we can play with the superheroes again, yeah?” He encouraged trying to get her in a happier mood to fall asleep. 

It worked as Emma cuddled closer with a small smile…. for a few minutes anyway. She started to fidget again and roll about as much as she could in the bed, even with Snow settled in the bed and the lights off.

 

* * *

An hour and a half after they got into bed, and should have been asleep, Emma was still wide awake and tossing and turning. They had tried just about every way to try and get their child to sleep. David sat up again rubbing his eyes with his hand. He looked over at his wives and saw that they looked just as tired as he felt. He flicked on the lamp, climbed out of bed, and disappeared into the walk-in wardrobe. He came back out wearing a pair of sneakers he hadn’t worn before. He walked back over to the bed and held his arms out to Emma. “Come on, my girl.” He said as gently as he could, managing to coax Emma into his arms, he lifted her up rocking slightly to keep her still and calm. 

“Dave?” Ruby asked through a yawn. 

“Em and I are going on a drive.” He told her sharing a look with Ruby and Snow, he figured it was going to be the only way to get her to fall asleep. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to?” Snow leant up on her elbow. “You’re working late tomorrow you need your sleep.” 

“I’ll be fine, babe.” He kissed the side of Emma’s head watching her rub her eyes, he could tell she was as frustrated and tired as they were, he also knew that he didn’t really have too much work he had to do the next day whereas Ruby and Snow both did. “I’ll be back soon, say night night Emmy.” 

She waved her hand back towards her mothers as Ruby passed over the blanket and Emma’s two teddy’s which had followed Emma to her parents bedroom. 

  
  


* * *

 

 

David set Emma down in the back seat of Snow’s station wagon. 

“Why can’t we go in your truck?” 

David smiled softly as he did her belt up, making sure she was going to have it on, usually she tried to undo it. “Because my truck doesn’t have a back seat, and it’s safer for you to sit in the back seat,” he frowned slightly looking at her wondering how annoyed she’d be if they got her a carseat, he figured it would be worth it, “I think it’s time daddy gets a new car.” It had been a few months since the curse had broken now, and by the looks of it they weren’t going anywhere else, he’d rather Emma was safe than keep the truck. 

Emma perked up. “Can I choose it?” 

David chuckled adjusting the belt. “You can help, I bet you that Mama and Mommy will try pick a rubbish car, so we’ll have to work together. But for now let’s get you settled down in Mommy’s car, with your teddies and you blankie, and we’ll go for a drive.” 

“I don’t need them to sleep.” Emma said quickly just as David was about to shut the door. 

David paused. He quickly kissed Emma’s forehead. “It doesn’t matter if you do, buddy, y’know I can’t sleep unless I have your mommies with me, and I find it hard to sleep without my favourite ever person to cuddle.” He watched a small smile take place on Emma’s face once more. He smiled in return, despite the late hour, and kissed her forehead again. “You don’t have to worry about needing things here, kiddo, even your teddies.” He shut the car door and climbed upfront.

 

* * *

 

 

David drove for two hours, playing soft rock, before Emma finally fell into a peaceful sleep. David yawned as he pulled into his spot in the parking lot. He looked back at his daughter, she looked so peaceful and angelic when asleep, no one would have believed how long it had taken for her to fall asleep and the state of her bedroom. 

He carried her out of the car and back up into the apartment, as carefully as he could, he didn’t want to have to go through all of that again. He tucked her into bed, and when he climbed into the bed Emma cuddled up to him in her sleep, he was more than okay to be sleep deprived for that little moment. 

  
  


* * *

 

 

The next day all four of them were all exhausted, especially Emma, the parents put into place a new earlier bedtime for Emma, and for the next month we’re super aware not to let her overly tired again. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
